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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26069917">Time flees, love stays</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/boleyn13/pseuds/boleyn13'>boleyn13</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Doctor Strange (2016), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alliance of Convenience, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Brotherhood, Dimension Travel, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Falling In Love, Gen, Hurt Tony Stark, Infinity Gems, Loki (Marvel) Needs a Hug, M/M, Magic, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Survivor Guilt, Time Travel, Tony Stark Has Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Working with the Enemy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 03:02:28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>83,572</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26069917</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/boleyn13/pseuds/boleyn13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Despite his initial reservations Stephen agrees to help Thor and the Guardians of the galaxy to fight an interdimensional entity. Things go terribly wrong and Stephen gets sucked into an alternate timeline and needs an extraordinary amount of magic to open a portal to create a way back home. Unfortunately most of the important events which shaped the world haven’t happened yet and the people Stephen would usually rely on are either out of his reach or unable to help him.<br/>To add to his woe Stephen ultimately has no choice but to turn to an unlikely source of support. Thor’s dead brother, the notorious Loki, happens to be alive and kicking in this timeline. Not only is Loki the vivid image of a person doing incredibly well, no, he has also succeeded in accumulating immense power by calling the Tesseract his own.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Loki &amp; Thor (Marvel), Loki/Stephen Strange, Tony Stark &amp; Stephen Strange</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>161</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>326</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. From here to there</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello everybody, </p><p>It's time for something new, I hope you are along for the ride :) </p><p>We will explore the new timeline the Avengers created when they let Loki escape and steal the Tesseract. One year after the events of Endgame Stephen ends up in another timeline and is determined to get back home. It's not going to be easy.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The metallic scent of blood stood out sharply in the air which was usually filled with the aroma of different herbs that might invite a person to either think of a delicious recipe or a powerful potion, depending on their personal preferences. For Stephen this garden fulfilled another purpose than providing ingredients for culinary adventures. By no means was he an expert in brewing potent mixtures or in manufacturing healing balms. This particular field of the mystical arts had never really succeeded in capturing his interest for the simple reason that it had been made clear to him from the very beginning that nothing that he could apply to his skin or drink would lessen the tremor in his hands. Consequently, Stephen would refer to his skill as only slightly better than amateurish and that was a harsh sting itself.</p><p>No matter what Stephen had worked on during his lifetime, he had always looked down with loathing on the beginner state. From his earliest childhood there had been this drive inside of him, not only to succeed but to do better than everybody else. Growing up and being an adult had told him that it simply wasn’t possible to excel in every field, but Stephen had become the Sorcerer Supreme. Master of the mystical arts. He should be damned if he wasn’t able to come up with an ointment that could ease the feeling of skin being too tight, of it stretching over the bone in a way it shouldn’t.</p><p>So far Stephen had only been successful in cutting himself. A small trickle of blood was visible through the cut in his glove and Stephen looked down onto it with mixture of disdain and resignation. It didn’t come as a surprise. A man whose hands were suffering from a constant tremor should not choose gardening as a way to pass his time. He was bound to hurt himself. However, the multiple times that Stephen had come here before, he had left again with his skin unharmed. So this was a failure on his part. A lack of concentration when Stephen should easily be able to use magic to steady his hands without constantly thinking about it. More or less this was a step back to his very first days at the Kamar Taj, when he hadn’t had the simple ability to create a portal.</p><p>As he was pulling off his glove Stephen released a tired sigh. The wound was superficial, it had already stopped bleeding. Nonetheless Stephen interpreted it as a sign to return home, that he was done for today. Standing up he peeked into the small basket he had brought that was only partly filled herbs and greens. Tonight he would figure out what to do with them. Holding the basket loosely in his hurt hand Stephen opened a portal with the other one. His living quarters in the Sanctum Santorum lay right in front of him and within them Wong. Who wasn’t supposed to be there. For now Stephen decided not to be alarmed, because lately Wong was making a habit out of seeking him out personally when a mere phone call would be sufficient.</p><p>There was no hello, as usual. Wong simply entered the conversation directly by stating the obvious the very second Stephen had walked through the portal. “You are still trying out gardening? I thought you would have given it up by now.”</p><p>Only now, confronted with another person and the social obligation to talk to them, Stephen realised how sour his mood actually was. Wong wasn’t responsible though and Stephen would try his best to approachable. “People claim it to be very relaxing.”</p><p>“Looks rather dangerous to me.” Wong pointed out and gestured vaguely at Stephen’s hand. The reflex to hide it came instantly, only with actual effort Stephen managed to keep it where it was. “It’s only one lost battle, the plants can’t win the war.” Casually Stephen placed the basket on the table before turning back to his friend. “What are you doing here except for pointing out my feeble skills? I am almost getting used to seeing you around here lately.”</p><p>Some people might have considered that last statement as a reproach and Stephen thought it was possible that Wong did so too, but his friend had made a habit out of indulging him. Whatever morose or surly thing Stephen said Wong would give a response so dry and deadpan that it took the edge off Stephen’s words. Perhaps that was the main reason why their partnership was working rather well. Without Wong’s patience and willingness to overlook Stephen’s obvious flaws in the social aspects of life, they would have probably tried to murder each other by now.</p><p>“You are seeing quite a lot of me here, because you hardly leave the Sanctum anymore.”</p><p>“A rather odd thing to say right after you had to wait here for me because I wasn’t here.” Stephen pointed out, feeling tired of this conversation already. Along with the lassitude came a nagging feeling of guilt. Somebody was coming here to see him, it was wrong and arrogant to feel annoyed by that.</p><p>“Let’s not split hairs.” Wong remained as cool and stoic as ever. “I am here to update you on the progress we’ve made with the new recruits at the Kamar-Taj. You would get a clearer impression though if you were to come over yourself. In my modest opinion that would by the most effective method. The recruits would profit from it too.”</p><p>Despite himself Stephen did feel a little bit amused by that. “That clearly is the opinion of a man who has never had the wonderful opportunity to see me working as a doctor. Nobody else has been able to accumulate such a high reputation as the worst teacher imaginable. A colleague once accused of not actually wanting to teach anyone, because there was a risk they might eventually get ahead of me.”</p><p>After having heard that Wong turned up his nose. The way he narrowed his eyes stated clearly that he thought the other’s doctor’s opinion wasn’t worth a dime. Unlike him Stephen wasn’t so sure. “I am not asking you to teach. We both agreed that the Sorcerer Supreme has other things that he needs to focus his attention on. However, it should help them to actually see what they are aspiring to become.”</p><p>Stephen laughed drily. “Oh, they’re aspiring to become like me?”</p><p>Nonchalantly Wong shrugged. “I am definitely not encouraging them to steal books from the library or to mirror your irresponsibility or recklessness. But when it comes to magical abilities, yes. You are the gold standard. I am not going to repeat these words, by the way. Not without a severe threat to my life.”</p><p>Normally this was the moment for Stephen to deliver a comeback, some witty phrase drenched in sarcasm. Instead he hesitated. Gold standard. Wasn’t that supposed to look very differently? The gold standard should have been able to do more. “I suppose I could drop by when my gardening schedule allows it. To say hello and wave my hands around in eccentric motions.”</p><p>“That is all I am asking for.” Wong opened his arms invitingly and seemed content despite Stephen’s very vague agreement. Probably he had come here expecting even less. “I would love to make small talk about how your skills in creating potions still haven’t improved, but I got the Kamar Taj to run. Drop by any time you like. Better sooner than later. Feel free to bring herbs from your garden.”</p><p>Wong had the nerve to wink at him before conjuring a new portal. It would have been fairly easy to join him and walk right through it, but Stephen knew very well that he wouldn’t be of good use for anybody today. Unfortunately there was no guarantee that things would change until tomorrow or next week. Stephen was planning on putting off this visit for as long as his sense of duty would allow it.</p><p>Alone again Stephen slipped off his other glove. His hands turned out to be surprisingly steady as he put a Band-Aid over the small wound. When that was done Stephen grabbed the basket and went into the kitchen.</p><p>The only part the culinary world had ever played in Stephen’s life was to bore him out of his mind. For many years Stephen simply hadn’t seen the point in heating up the stove when there were about 1000 restaurants in Manhattan alone that were trying to make a living. This negligence had led to his embarrassing helplessness in the kitchen when Stephen wasn’t even trying to produce something edible. Stephen found no enjoyment whatsoever in heating up a pot of water and chopping up herbs. The effort it took to keep his hands steady enough to avoid maiming himself was considerable. Generally, the entire task was made tolerable only by the sounds of Love Affair’s ‘Everlasting Love’ filling not just the kitchen but the entirety of the Sanctum. When it had become clear that this place was going to become Stephen’s home, he had instantly called an electrician to install a sophisticated speaker system in every room. Connected to his hi-fi system and record player. Unsurprisingly this had earned him Wong’s disapproving gaze, because why couldn’t Stephen simply listen to his phone like a normal person. Just the thought of it was sacrilegious. Stephen wasn’t going to ruin a single song through subpar sound quality.</p><p>Stephen was putting the herbs into the boiling water as Everlasting Love faded out into Barry White. There was no time to marvel at the soul in his voice, even Stephen’s thoughts got interrupted by the sharp ringing of his phone.</p><p>It was Christine, once more being the one to call because Stephen was the worst person on the planet at starting a conversation. He just never managed to sound interested when he asked how someone was doing even if he was. Stephen had no appreciation inside of him for social norms that were only answered with lies anyway. Hardly anybody would say that their life had gone to shit. Which wasn’t the case with him. Life was actually better than it been in a long time. Maybe exactly that was the problem.</p><p>From the very first word he could tell that Christine was in a good mood and that of course had an impact on Stephen. Honestly, he could not imagine being able to cope on a daily basis if he knew that she wasn’t doing well. Then again, why wouldn’t she? Christine had done well for herself during the last six years, especially during the five when she hadn’t ceased to exist unlike so many others. Now she was finally the head of her department, deservedly so. Married for three years and a daughter who was an admittedly cute toddler. Stephen didn’t even like kids.</p><p>There was a lot of small talk and Christine mainly lamented the fact that they hadn’t seen each other in such a long time. Which was entirely Stephen’s fault.</p><p>“I know… I was terribly busy…” Stephen mumbled that bad apology while stirring the pot.</p><p>“Busying doing what? Saving the earth again? I sincerely hope that’s not the case. One world-ending event during my lifetime is more than enough.”</p><p>“I didn’t save the world. No, nothing like that. A few minor inconveniences. Most of what I am doing right now is monitoring. I don’t have much of an excuse.”</p><p>Christine laughed and Stephen thought he could hear the voice of an infant in the background. “I didn’t expect anything else. How do you intent to make this up to me? I think lunch next Thursday sounds like a good idea.”</p><p>Stephen nodded. “I’d like that.”</p><p>“Fantastic. You do know that you will have to tell me everything about that woman. Sheryl.”</p><p>Her probing was supposed to be gentle, but Stephen immediately felt the urge to talk about pretty much anything else. Despite Christine’s best intentions Stephen would never feel at ease talking with her about his love life. Which was non-existent for the most time. “There is not much to tell. She hasn’t called me in three days. Neither have I. I don’t think either of us is particularly keen on doing so.”</p><p>Since Christine was a good person she instantly felt bad about having touched a sore spot. “I am sorry to hear that.”</p><p>Stephen wasn’t, he had a very realistic view of things. The snap hadn’t been as kind to Sheryl as it had been to Christine. Nothing but ashes had remained of her while her fiancé had continued to live. After a period of heart-wrenching despair, depression and mourning her fiancé had accepted what could not be changed. Ultimately he had moved on. Then, against all odds, somebody had changed it all. Had saved the entire universe. Sheryl had returned from the ashes and had found her fiancé in the arms of another woman. His new wife. To him Sheryl had been gone for five years, to her it hadn’t felt longer than the time it took to close one’s eyes. Stephen was by no means sentimental, but these kinds of cases made him ask himself how much heartache a person could take. Maybe more and yet it was already too much.</p><p>During the last 12 months Sheryl had been busy trying to reorganise her life after having been brought back. No fiancé, new job, new home, half of the people she knew were suddenly five years older than before. Stephen and she had met by accident in a rather bizarre way. They had happened to visit the same bookstore when a young man had collapsed right in front of the cashpoint. After rendering first aid and waiting for emergency services they had started talking and Stephen had ended up feeling a little bit blindsided when she had given him her phone number. Despite his most strenuous and hardest efforts Stephen wasn’t quite able to figure out how he could have attracted her attention in that kind of way. It was beyond him.</p><p>Eventually they had gone on two dates which had been rather pleasant but nothing more. Stephen thought that she was an attractive and likable woman, someone he would like to be more interested in. If he had to guess, he would suppose she felt the exact same way. Slowly this short-lived relationship was already fizzling out. Although Stephen hadn’t been looking for a romantic involvement, he had discovered within himself that he enjoyed the idea of it. Christine had been the last person he had been able to imagine to share this with. Now it seemed more like an abstract concept.</p><p>“Don’t bother. It wasn’t something that either of us was very invested in. I am looking forward to Thursday though.”</p><p>“You are not going to bail on me last minute, aren’t you? If I am to spend several hours in the kitchen, I want more than one person to appreciate it. I’ll have your skin if you don’t show up.” Only by the end was she teasing him and Stephen definitely didn’t miss that actual hint of worry. There was no way he could blame her, trying to get out of a meeting wouldn’t be out of character for him. During their relationship Stephen had especially excelled in this particular area. “I am going to be there, promise.”</p><p>“I’ll believe it when I see you on the front porch. Don’t forget to bring a bottle of wine.”</p><p>Stephen promised once more and they continued their conversation for about two more minutes. Then Stephen focused again on his pitiful attempt at making a potion. Barry White had ceded his place to Billy Joel. Humming to himself Stephen leaned against the counter and closed his eyes to concentrate on what he was hearing. A long time ago Stephen had moved a scalpel to the rhythm of this song. In another life. Things had been easier back then. Not once had Stephen felt a tinge of guilt after losing a patient on the operating table. When he had still been a surgeon Stephen had never doubted that he had done everything he had been able to do. Less than 100 percent hadn’t existed for him. Stephen missed that time. Desperately.</p><p>A flash of light appeared. So bright that Stephen perceived it despite having his eyes closed. The air was sizzling with electricity and power. For a second Stephen thought that he had to get ready to counter an attack, but then the familiarity of this aura hit him with full force.</p><p>For the second time this evening Stephen sighed and inwardly scolded himself for it. Neither did he have any plans for tonight, nor was he expecting someone. Thor didn’t come at a bad time. He was an estranged friend and Stephen still wished that the god of thunder would have chosen another day. Week. Over the last couple of months Stephen had grown fond of the silence in his home. After turning off the stove Stephen walked into the entrance hall of the Sanctorum. Just a second later the main door flew open with a loud bang and Stephen winced from the sound of wood hitting the wall. This time he wouldn’t allow Thor to get within five metres of any artefact.</p><p>Thor’s big, bulky form looked most definitely out of place in the Sanctorum, but he didn’t seem to be bothered by that. Or he simply wasn’t aware, also quite possible. With his giant axe in one hand Thor opened his arms widely, a cheerful smile on his lips. “Wizard Strange! How are you faring on this merry day, my friend?”</p><p>“I was feeling rather good right until my doors almost got shattered.”</p><p>Loud and unhinged, Thor’s laughter fitted him perfectly. “Midgardian craftwork is not made to withstand Asgardian strength. It is good to see you, my friend! It has been a long time.”</p><p>Even right in front of him Thor showed no intention of stopping and Stephen casually raised a hand to escape the impending hug. Surprisingly it was enough to have Thor stop. That overwhelming smile didn’t waiver and instead of pulling Stephen into the crushing hug like he had wanted to Thor patted Stephen’s shoulder. Which also wasn’t made for Asgardian strength.</p><p>“Hello Thor. I thought you were off to discover the last hidden corners of the universe. What can I do for you?” Stephen thought it was best to get to the point right away. With Thor there was always a risk of him getting carried away telling some fabulous story.</p><p>“I would indeed be very agreeable if you were to offer me some of the delicious beverage I consumed the last time I was here.”</p><p>Stephen was pretty sure that Thor knew the word beer very well, but he wasn’t going to start correcting Thor’s speech. Eventually they found themselves in the same position as the first time they had met. Same chairs, same big glass full of beer in Thor’s hand. Everything else couldn’t be more different. In nobody’s physique was the impact of the snap more visible than in Thor’s. The handsome face had almost disappeared behind a long, unkempt beard and while his shoulders were still broad and strong, his muscular chest had been replaced by a big belly that was a testimony of seeking comfort or relief in food and alcohol. A change so blatant and radical that nobody could possibly miss it. They might have met only one single time before Thanos’ arrival, but that one time had been enough for Stephen to get familiar with Thor’s smile. Always big, radiant and cheerful. That part had not changed. On second glance though that smile could easily be exposed as superficial. Thor’s eyes and his smile didn’t match. They were part of two different expressions. Joyful and melancholic.</p><p>One year ago everybody had returned from the ashes, but Thor had been unable to go back to the way he had been before. Or perhaps he hadn’t wanted to.</p><p>“So how have you been?”</p><p>Thor wiped off the remains of his latest gulp of beer with the back of his hand. “Most marvellous. The Guardians and I have fought many glorious battles and explored the most exotic worlds. Our name is cherished and known all over this galaxy as people sing songs of our great deeds.”</p><p>Stephen smirked involuntarily. He hoped it didn’t look too patronizing. There was no doubt about Thor’s qualities as a story teller, but his audience should be aware that most of it needed to be taken with a grain of salt. It might just be the Asgardian style to use hyperboles and to make the most tedious event sound like an exciting rush. “I am sure that there was a lot of singing. Not every quest could have been glorious, otherwise why would you be here?”</p><p>This was the first time today Stephen saw Thor’s smile falter. Obviously he was confused. “How have you come to this conclusion?”</p><p>Stephen shrugged. “Don’t misunderstand, but the two of us do not have what people would call a close relationship. In fact we haven’t seen each other in months. I suppose you are here to seek assistance. That is not a reproach. It’s the whole point of this place. Do you need my help?”</p><p>Before he answered Thor emptied his glass. Only now there was a hint of sheepishness in his demeanour, but he knew how to play it down. “I have never been one to refuse a helping hand. Even when I wasn’t in need of one. The situation we find ourselves in is in no way dire. I have no reason to believe that me and my friends would be unable to find a solution if we let a few more days pass and try to think of something. Be it as it may, there are certain times and circumstances that would render the support of a magician incredibly useful.”</p><p>Such words coming from a character like Thor was shockingly close to humility. The only response Stephen had at the moment was “Sorcerer. Sorcerer Supreme.”</p><p>“I find it hard to keep up with all the different titles. What I meant to say is that the Guardians encountered a magical foe and we agreed that your expertise would be most… helpful. What do you say, Strange?” Thor was now beaming at the prospect of fighting together while Stephen felt no temptation whatsoever. Temptation didn’t play that big of a part though. If this was a magical threat Stephen had to get involved anyway, that was his duty.</p><p>Nodding softly Stephen made an inviting gesture. “Go ahead. Tell me about the situation that you don’t have the time to get out of yourself.”</p><p>The story was rather simple and told very quickly. Stephen had been aware that the Guardians were still working for hire. All around the galaxy they would help other people out with their troubles. Stephen’s assistance was needed to deal with the most recent trouble. A magical entity, Thor described it as a beast made of smoke, was terrorising the people of a small, isolated planet in a distant corner of the galaxy. The planet itself was a source of pure, supernatural energy that the inhabitants used in their daily life, their whole society depended on it. Now the so called beast made of smoke was leeching off that energy, coming dangerously close to sucking the planet dry. Until now all of the Guardians’ weapons had been ineffective and that was where Stephen came into play.</p><p>“The information you have on this entity is rather sparse. Is there nothing else you can tell me about it?”</p><p>“It’s smoke. Black. With red edges.”</p><p>This time Stephen did not feel bad for sighing. By now he was definitely used to non-magic users not doing enough research when they were dealing with the supernatural. They tended to foolishly believe that a gun or a knife could take care of anybody. Which was technically true, but a lot harder to achieve than people thought. “You will have to be way more precise than that, Thor. I am not entering a fight without knowing exactly who I am facing.”</p><p>“I suppose Rocket can tell you more than me. He did some research.”</p><p>At least a small silver lining was visible on the horizon. Having made his decision Stephen stood up and opened a portal. He felt the soft and comforting weight of the cloak of levitation settling on his shoulders. “Then let’s go. I would like to get this done before dinner.”</p><p>***</p><p>On the Guardians’ ship Stephen did find indeed a little bit more information and useful video data. Combined with some of his own books Stephen came to conclusion that Thor and the others wouldn’t have been able to deal with the situation they had on their hands. An interdimensional threat. Stephen’s favourite kind. According to the books the entity was able to travel between the dimensions at will. Fighting it was dangerous, because it also had the power to send other people away. However, Stephen was quick to work out a strategy by ignoring all of Rocket’s and Thor’s ridiculous ideas. One might think that they had never seen a magical being before.</p><p>Due to necessary preparations and the major inconvenience that the entity refused to stick to Stephen’s schedule, he missed dinner after all. For an uncertain amount of time they had to lie in wait for the entity to show up. On a spaceship. Out in space. Probably the one place where Stephen wanted to be the least. It was too loud. Thor and Peter Quill constantly tried to outdo each other in pretty much anything. Notably eating, drinking and made-up stories about their achievements. Rocket kept nagging Stephen about wanting to buy the cloak of levitation and the one named Drax was still just odd. Mantis kept aside and Stephen was perfectly sure that he was the reason for that. The shy look on her face and the tendency to lower her eyes whenever their gazes crossed reminded him of the effect he used to have on med students. It was easy to assume that the recruits at the Kamar-Taj would react similar to him. No, Stephen didn’t have a good time, but at least Quill did have decent taste in music.</p><p>Lounging in his seat Stephen was engrossed in his book, gladly ignoring Thor’s attempt to involve him in their silly competition as some sort of referee. It was only when a small shadow fell over him that Stephen raised his head. To his bewilderment Mantis had finally dared to approach him although she clearly wasn’t feeling at ease about it. The forced, tensed smile on her face was speaking volumes. If Stephen wasn’t going to speak up first, she would probably continue to stare at him for hours, struggling to come up with something to say. “Can I help you?”</p><p>“I was merely wondering how you’ve been doing. The last time I saw you, was a year ago. Right after everything turned back to how it’s supposed to be.”</p><p>There was honesty to her smile that almost had Stephen shuddering. The naivety of it. “Things did not go back the way they are supposed to be.”</p><p>Instantly her smile fell she had lost the courage to look into Stephen’s eyes. He definitely felt bad for that. “You are right. Of course not. I think I never thanked you for what you did on Titan. You came up with a way to save all of us.”</p><p>Stephen could feel his guts clench and twist. He tried not to let it show. “I did not come up with anything. I merely saw what was going to happen. Which way could work and that was the one I chose for us.”</p><p>Mantis nodded softly and Stephen could see the tip of her tongue wetting her upper lip. There still something she wanted to say and she didn’t know how to. Stephen desperately wished that she would prolong the silence. Forever. A wish that would not be granted. Mantis said what was weighing on her mind, using a small voice. The one of a child. “It must have been such a heavy burden to carry. All alone. On Titan. I could feel your sadness without even touching you. It was heart-wrenching.”</p><p>Stephen winced and fought the urge to stand up and leave. An empath looking inside of him was among the worst things his mind could come up with. She had felt his sadness? It couldn’t have been so bad. Otherwise Stephen would have continued searching, looking for another way. There were endless possibilities after all. Infinite layers of dimensions and timelines. 14 000 605 was a pathetically small number.</p><p>“I did not mean to upset you.” Mantis said quickly because she had obviously sensed Stephen’s distress. Now he was the one unable to say anything. “Things didn’t go back to normal for everyone. You are not the only one who came back scarred.” She slowly turned her head in Thor’s direction. The god was laughing loudly at something, a half full glass in his hand. “His feelings are so very similar to yours. That guilt woven into sadness. It’s there constantly. No matter how bright a smile might be.”</p><p>His own misery was enough for Stephen to constantly ignore. If Thor was indeed covering up his own depressed feelings, then he definitely had a reason for it. Stephen understood better than anybody what it meant to want to be left alone. This notion made him remember how to use his tongue. “People’s feelings are like their thoughts. They belong to them and can only be shared if they desire to do so.”</p><p>Ashamed Mantis bowed her head. “I am sorry. I am not doing it on purpose. It is a constant buzz in the background. I am not even trying and I can feel it. You are right nonetheless. Of course, I did wrong. I had no right to tell you. I am sorry.”</p><p>With quick steps she rushed away from him and Stephen had never been more thankful for an attack.</p><p>The entity matched Thor’s description rather well. A mass of black smoke that seemed to be burning. Until now all of the Guardians’ attacks had gone right through it, Stephen’s job was to give them an actual form to use their weapons on. In general the concept was shockingly simple. A quick conjuration and a binding spell to keep it in place. Stephen hadn’t expected it to be so strong though. From the very second he had trapped the entity in his binds, Stephen knew that he would not be able to hold it for very long. “Attack it! Now!”</p><p>They did and it was effective. Stephen could feel it writhe in pain, fighting him. He only needed to hold on a little longer. It was then that Thor’s lightening hit it and the entity exploded. Stephen’s binds broke apart and small columns of smoke were raining down on them.</p><p>“Yes! We did it! Take that you stupid son of a bitch!”</p><p>Stephen barely heard Rocket’s cry of triumphant. He watched one of the columns sailing towards the ground and then going right through it. Leaving behind a hole filled with red light and shapes that resembled nothing that Stephen had ever seen before. At least not in this world.</p><p>“Run! They cannot touch you!”</p><p>There was confusion, but they knew better than not to listen to him. All of them started to run, but Stephen already knew that they didn’t have a chance. Hundreds of smoke particles were coming down, it was impossible to outrun them. Stephen’s mind was racing.</p><p>Five of them. Scattered all around this field. Running off in different directions. Not all of them were in his field of vision. Stephen put all of his energy and concentration into it as he conjured five different portals. As close to each of them as he possibly could. Relieved Stephen heard Drax’s faint cry when he fell into safety. Stephen couldn’t wait to make sure that the other ones would reach theirs too. Right in front of him Stephen opened his own portal, on the other side he could see the busy streets of New York. All he had to do was to take one step. The very moment Stephen did that he felt a pulling sensation in the back of his neck. For a second the thought crossed his mind if his dread was so intense that Mantis would able to feel it. Pulling turned into merciless dragging and then Stephen felt like he was being torn apart. Fire seemed to be running down his back, burning away his hair, melting all of his skin down to his heels. In his nose was the smell of New York, Stephen could feel the sunshine on his face. Two different places were trying to pull him in and Stephen was fighting not to be ripped into two. His own agonizing scream was ringing in his ears when the darkness swallowed him whole.</p><p>***</p><p>Stephen remembered the fresh scent of grass and herbs, but this wasn’t his garden. Only slowly Stephen became aware of his whereabouts. The ground he was lying on was hard and rough.</p><p>“Sir, are you alright?”</p><p>Every muscle in his body was hurting. As if fists had been raining down on him. Stephen knew if he was going to open his eyes, he would be dizzy. Maybe even lose consciousness. Even now with his eyes closed Stephen thought that the world was spinning.</p><p>“Sir, do you need help?”</p><p>Somebody was talking to him. It didn’t sound like anybody of the Guardians. A New York accent. Which made no sense. Stephen hadn’t quite made it through the portal and one of the smoke columns must have touched the back of his neck. It had tried pulling him into another dimension while Stephen had stepped through a portal. He was lucky to still be in one piece.</p><p>“Sir?”</p><p>Slowly Stephen opened his face and his vision was indeed blurry, but he didn’t pass out again. Maybe half a minute later he felt sure enough to sit up and to actually take in his surroundings. This was New York and it couldn’t be. Stephen knew that he hadn’t made it through the portal. He couldn’t have. So where was he?</p><p>“Sir, you…”</p><p>“I’m fine.” Stephen muttered quickly to get rid of whoever was talking to him. The possibilities were infinite. What version of reality had he been pulled into? What dimension? Stumbling onto his unsteady feet Stephen took a look around to see a city that was perfectly familiar and yet somehow different.</p><p>A wave of nausea overcame him and Stephen supported himself on the next best surface which turned out to be a newsstand. As soon as the black spots had stopped dancing in front of his eyes Stephen took a look at one of the newspaper. He probably had hit his head, because what he saw made no sense.</p><p>
  <em>May 21<sup>st</sup>, 2013</em>
</p><p>
  
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<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Not quite the same</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello everybody,</p><p>Let's see where Stephen ended up, shall we? :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Stephen’s ears were ringing from the buzzing sound of the traffic, people shouting in the streets and the noise of a sheer endless number of construction sites. Even on top of a 50 store building Stephen still wasn’t able to escape the soundscape. After overcoming his initial confusion and disorientation Stephen’s logical and investigative nature had won. This couldn’t be 2013. All the laws of magic and physics negated this possibility. Without the Eye of Agamotto Stephen didn’t have the power to alter or mess with time. Neither had the entity. Stephen shouldn’t be here.</p><p>The city that lay below him was New York. Without the shadow of a doubt. It was different though. As Stephen’s eyes were travelling the skyline, they found a familiar building. Stark Tower. Like this it didn’t belong into the year 2013. It should be the Avengers Tower. Stephen was looking a blatant anachronism. Some buildings that had been destroyed during the invasion hadn’t been rebuilt yet. They were still under construction. Most of his surroundings did indeed remind Stephen of the year 2013 except for the Stark Tower. Despite his best attempts Stephen could not wrap his head around what had happened. The only explanation which made sense was that Stephen hadn’t actually travelled back in time. This had to be some kind of alternate dimension.</p><p>The dizziness got his hold on him back and Stephen slowly sat down, allowing himself to be overwhelmed by the situation for a moment. 10 seconds. That was it, then Stephen had to pull himself together and start working on a solution. Like he had always done.</p><p>Clearly the most obvious thing to try was to open another portal, but Stephen had a dark premonition that this approach was not going to get him anywhere. Nonetheless he had to make an attempt. After all he had no idea what kind of situation the Guardians were still in, there was a good chance that they were in need of him.</p><p>Taking a deep breath Stephen channelled the magic flowing through and around him before concentrating on conjuring a portal that would bring him back home. To New York in the dimension he used to live in. 2024.</p><p>Stephen’s heartrate was slightly accelerating as the portal opened up in front of him. Not wasting another second Stephen walked through it and found himself on the very same roof. Nothing had changed, his surroundings were identical. A fruitless attempt.</p><p>“Damn it.” Stephen cursed angrily before reconsidering his options. At the moment he couldn’t think of a way out of here on his own. Eventually Stephen would come up with a solution, he always did, but time was definitely of the essence. It would be foolish to waste precious hours pondering when Stephen had an ally that he could seek out to offer him support. The Ancient One would be definitely able to help him retrace his steps and find out what had happened.</p><p>If Stephen had indeed travelled back in time, regardless of how he had achieved that, she would be still alive. Not just that, she would be in possession of the Time Stone. With the Infinity Gem at their disposal sending Stephen back wouldn’t pose much of a problem. Thinking about the dazzling emerald and the last time Stephen had been holding it sent a tingling, unpleasant sensation down his spine.</p><p>Stephen refused to get slowed down by his own discomfort and went on to create a new portal. Nepal hadn’t changed and it overwhelmed Stephen nearly as much as the first time he had ever come here. Nobody took notice of him and Stephen almost immediately got swallowed by the crowd. The little it took him to get him to the Kamar Taj Stephen spent thinking about how bizarre this encounter was going to be. For weeks Wong had been pestering to visit and now that Stephen had finally bothered to do so, it was under extreme circumstances. He was going to see the Ancient One again. A prospect that had him feeling rather confused. How could he feel happy about this when it technically wasn’t going to be the person he had known? In 2013 they hadn’t even met yet, she would know who he was though.</p><p>After having arrived at the Kamar Taj Stephen kept staring at the house and thought about the best approach. Whoever was going to open the door for him would have no idea who they were dealing with and Stephen’s explanation was going to take a lot of time. The Ancient one was going to understand, Stephen just needed to get to her and he decided that it would be to not simply barge in. At least he was clad in his battle robes, they were an indicator that he had been at the Kamar Taj before.</p><p>Stephen knocked and then waited. Although he was indeed feeling nervous, a state that he severely despised, Stephen took comfort in the knowledge that he would not be sitting helplessly in front of his door for several hours. That was a situation that wouldn’t be repeated. Ever.</p><p>Stephen didn’t get the chance to dwell on these thoughts any longer. The face of an old companion greeted him. Despite knowing what how things were probably going to play out, Stephen was taking aback by the oddity of the situation. Of course there was no single hint of recognition on Mordo’s face. 2013. They hadn’t met yet. To Mordo he was a complete stranger who had knocked on their door and who was wearing clothes typical to the Kamar Taj. Nothing more was needed to arouse suspicion rather than welcoming feelings. “Can I help you?”</p><p>It would definitely be the best course of action to not call the other one by his name. No matter how awkward it felt. Stephen hadn’t seen him in years. Not since Mordo had walked away from the Kamar Taj. Stephen would have liked to ask some questions that Mordo wouldn’t have the answers to. “Yes. Definitely. My name is Stephen Strange. I need to talk to the Ancient One.”</p><p>The very second Stephen mentioned her all the muscles in Mordo’s face turned to stone. Confusion was replaced by blatant distrust. Stephen couldn’t fault him for that. “I wasn’t aware that the Ancient was expecting somebody.”</p><p>“Oh, she is expecting me. I am way too early. Couple of years early. I am here because I am in need of the Ancient One’s help. I know that me showing up here out of the blue is strange, because you don’t know me, but I am an ally. I can explain everything to the Ancient One.”</p><p>With quite a lot of dismay Stephen witnessed a chance in Mordo’s posture. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and tried to make himself broader to block the entire passage into the building. “You are right, you are a stranger. I have no incentive to endanger the safety of the Kamar Taj by letting you enter its walls.”</p><p>Stephen huffed in annoyance and he was clinging to his resolution to be patient and to not get himself into trouble by being… himself. Nonetheless he had to act with urgency. As casually as humanly possible Stephen conjured a portal right next to him. “I don’t actually need you to let me in. I am merely trying to be polite.”</p><p>Honestly, Stephen had no idea how he could have done any better. He was trying his very best and yet Mordo was changing into battle mode, lifting his fists to be ready to launch an attack at any moment. “Who are you?”</p><p>“Doctor Stephen Strange. Neurosurgeon at Metro-General-Hospital.” Stephen tried to bite his lip, but he couldn’t help himself. “Also Sorcerer Supreme.”</p><p>Not another word was necessary to piss Mordo off. He was hissing through clenched teeth. “I am not going to ask you again. Who are you?”</p><p>“How about we cut this short and I introduce myself to the Ancient One? She will know who I am. I don’t mean to cause you or the Kamar Taj any harm. Like I said, I am the one in need of help. I was brought here through magic and I am not sure if I am able to return home by myself. Not without the Ancient One’s help.”</p><p>More humility couldn’t be expected of him and although Mordo hadn’t actually met him yet, he could tell that Stephen was definitely out of his comfort zone. Unsure what to do Mordo narrowed his eyes at him and lowered his hands. “So where did you come from, Stephen Strange?”</p><p>“New York. Not the New York that you know though. This is not my time… or dimension. I am not sure yet. I cannot think of anybody but the Ancient One to help me find out.”</p><p>Mordo let a few moments pass, taking everything he head into consideration to come to a decision. Hopefully he was going to decide to let Stephen in. Otherwise Stephen had to take a more direct and more dangerous approach.</p><p>Even after he had made his decision Mordo didn’t say much. “Follow me.”</p><p>Stephen would have been embarrassed to show it, but he did feel an immense relief. The familiar walls of the Kamar Taj offered some comfort. Once before Stephen had already found sanctuary here and after some time he had found himself. With a bit of luck something similar would happen today. Mordo kept watching him closely. Probably wondering why Stephen was moving so confidently through the halls. Almost as if he had been here before.</p><p>Eventually they entered the main room where the Ancient One was drinking her tea. The sight of her hit Stephen in a way he had not expected. Stopping dead in his tracks Stephen couldn’t push away the memory of her lying on the sidewalk. Body broken and mangled. Something that he had not been able to prevent. Another one of his unforgivable failures. She turned around to face them and Stephen swallowed. The feeling of inferiority which had haunted him the very first time he had come here suddenly returned to him.</p><p>Mordo bowed his head apologetically. “I am sorry for the interruption, but…”</p><p>The Ancient One’s eyes grew a little wider and Stephen felt a weight being lifted off his shoulders when he saw surprise and recognition. “Doctor Strange. You are not supposed to be here. Not yet. Not for another four years.”</p><p>Stephen didn’t believe in God and felt nevertheless tempted to thank him. “I know. I am here because I need your help. I am not the Stephen Strange that you will meet in four years. I have already been here. I came here to fix my hands, but I chose to pursue the mystic arts to protect other people. You inspired me to do that.”</p><p>Slowly she came closer and Stephen wasn’t entirely sure if she had listened to him. Her eyes were fixed on the cloak of levitation. “It seems to have taken a liking to you. Extraordinary for such a fickle thing. Where did you come from, Stephen Strange?”</p><p>“I am not quite sure. I am not sure where I am either.”</p><p>“Then let’s find it out together. Sit down. Have a cup of tea. Tell us your story. I am sure it will be fascinating.”</p><p>Stephen’s tale only consisted of the events of the last couple of hours. Both the Ancient One and Mordo listened attentively, not interrupting him once. Despite knowing better Stephen gave into the temptation of believing that the hard part was done with. What could still end up giving him trouble? This little mess was nothing that the Eye of Agamotto couldn’t fix.</p><p>“Now I am here and forgive me being this blatant, but I would be very happy if I could leave again as soon as possible. I have important obligations.” Like making sure that the Guardians were alright and then returning to the safety of his own living room.</p><p>“Are you sure your categorisation of the entity was correct? A creature that is capable of interdimensional travel shouldn’t be able to send you back in time.” The Ancient One pointed out the very same thing Stephen had been wondering about.</p><p>“I considered that, but you must know I very rarely make mistakes.”</p><p>“And you are very humble, indeed.” Mordo remarked and Stephen gratefully ignored him. “I really do need your help to return to where I came from.”</p><p>The sooner the better. Stephen definitely didn’t want to get to talking to people who were dead. Unfortunately the Ancient One offered little reassurance. “I will gladly do everything in my power to help you, Doctor Strange, but I fear it will be quite a challenge.”</p><p>Her reluctance to help him out in the most obvious way confused Stephen to say the least. Was there a certain reason why she wasn’t willing to put the Infinity Stone to good use? Sure, Stephen knew more about its dangers than anybody else, but he had also carried it for over two years. There was nobody more adept to handle it and Stephen wouldn’t be too shy to point that out. “I know that time should not be messed with. One has to act carefully and responsibly. We’ve already had that conversation. However, I certainly do believe that the circumstances justify rather drastic measures. I am asking you to use the eye of Agamotto to send me back home.”</p><p>Before Stephen had finished this sentence he could see the discomfort on both of their faces and that bestowed the most eerie feeling on Stephen. In the back of his mind there was already settling in a dark thought. Going home could take a lot longer than he had previously hoped. To his complete bewilderment the Ancient One almost seemed to be embarrassed and Mordo had picked up all the distrust that he had momentarily forgotten about during Stephen’s tale. “What do you know about the Eye of Agamotto?”</p><p>“Look, this is getting really tedious. I know pretty much everything about it. I guarded it for several years. Do I need to mention that it’s the Time Stone? It most definitely has the power to send me back and together we are surely able to find out how to do that.”</p><p>Mordo opened his mouth again, but this time the Ancient One sent him a short, stern gaze before turning back to Stephen. Her apologetic gaze was crushing. “You are right, Doctor Strange. The Time Stone definitely can open such a gateway. It saddens me that I am unable to offer you this solution.”</p><p>“I don’t understand.”</p><p>Slowly the Ancient One indicated him to follow her. Stephen did so and soon realised that she led him to the most sacred place of the Kamar-Taj. Where they kept the Eye of Agamotto. Except that it wasn’t there. “What happened?”</p><p>“About 8 months ago the Kamar-Taj came under attack by a magical creature. They had no trouble overcoming our defences. We engaged in a fight but they took the Time Stone and left. I have been trying to locate them ever since but my efforts turned out to be pointless. Until this very day I haven’t been capable to spot a single sign of the Time Stone. Before you came here I was certain that the thief hadn’t even used it yet because I wasn’t able to detect its energy. But you are here, so maybe the Stone was used after all.”</p><p>Helplessly Stephen looked around in the room as if he could find the stone hidden in some corner and this entire story would be revealed as a rather clumsy joke. There was nothing. It was gone. Stolen. Four years before Stephen’s accident. How was he supposed to stop Dormammu without the Time Stone? How was anything supposed to happen the way it… Stephen paused. “This does not make sense. This never happened. I know for sure. The Time Stone never got stolen. This never happened.”</p><p>The Ancient One looked at him calmly. “I am fairly certain that your presence here is another unpreceded event.”</p><p>“Which makes your sudden appearance all the more suspicious.” Mordo clearly had a bone to pick with him and at this time Stephen had about 949 other things on his plate. “When we are going to meet in three years you have to be a lot nicer to me to make up for this. I know this is all coming out of nowhere, but you have to see that I am not responsible for the theft if it happened over half a year ago.”</p><p>The obvious logic in his statement failed to impress Mordo who had probably already come to a decision about which category of people he should place Stephen in. It wasn’t the good one. “Time has little meaning when the Eye of Agamotto is involved. We don’t know you. We cannot trust your word.”</p><p>Ready and seemingly eager for a confrontation Mordo came a step closer and by now Stephen’s frustration with him had raised to such highs that he would gladly teach him a lesson.</p><p>“Yes, to see Doctor Strange right here and right now is a surprise, but it is not an unwelcome one.” The tension of the situation dissolved with the Ancient One’s smile. “It is right that this is not the moment in which I expected to see you, but that doesn’t change anything. The Kamar-Taj has been and will be your sanctuary. I hope my word is enough to convince you.”</p><p>Suddenly very silent Mordo lowered his eyes and yet Stephen could tell that the dislike he had taken to Stephen hadn’t just vanished. This truce wasn’t going to last long, but Stephen would gladly take advantage of the opportunity to ignore Mordo and to focus on the Ancient One. “Thank you for your hospitality. I don’t intent to rely on it for long. I need to return home and therefore it is necessary to find out what happened. It is 2013, am I right? There was an alien invasion one year ago?”</p><p>Mordo gave a short nod. “Yes.”</p><p>Stephen had to find out if anything else was different. Someone had taken the Time Stone. What if Thanos had already come for it? Or one of his goons. Even if. This wasn’t Stephen’s time, he had already gone through it. His duties were waiting for him in the present. Or the future. Which was suddenly completely out of his reach. “Please tell me more about how the Time Stone was stolen. Preferably in excruciating detail.”</p><p>***</p><p>Despite everything there was a little bit of comfort to be taken in the familiarity of the Kamar-Taj. Nothing had changed except for the absence of the one thing that could possibly offer Stephen a way back home. After a more in-depth conversation Stephen learned a little more about the event that should have never happened. Every word that Stephen heard and every description he was given perfectly fitted into a singular picture.</p><p>A tall and haggard figure wrapped in a dark cloak. Capable of levitation and using things with their mind. They hadn’t been interested in a fight. Walk in, overcome the magical defences, put down the resistance, grab the Time Stone and disappear. Stephen had a very good idea who they were dealing with and it almost caused Stephen to be sick. This thief was something he had met before. Momentarily the tremor in his hands became so strong that Stephen had to ball them into fists to stop the uncontrolled movement. He felt the searing needles drilling through every single body part but worst of all he felt them in his fingers. Almost as if they were needles themselves.</p><p>The next minute was spent trying to even out his breathing and Stephen was immensely glad to be alone in a room that the Ancient One had given him. With great unease Stephen had to put the pieces together. Ebony Maw had fetched the Time Stone in 2013 and must have taken it to Thanos. This had taken place months before Stephen had been sent here, he couldn’t be connected to it. Logic and reasoning also told Stephen that none of this was any of his business. Whatever was happening here wouldn’t affect Stephen’s present. His past had already happened, it could not be changed. The phantom pain of dozens of needles inside of his body was proof enough that Stephen had played his part in this fight. For God’s sake, Stephen had died. What more could be asked from him?</p><p>
  <em>Die one more time knowing that you won’t come back</em>
</p><p>This 2013 had been altered and drastically so. Now it could never lead up to the present that Stephen was familiar with. Stephen could warn them about Thanos, but that was the furthest he was willing to go. There was no place for him here.</p><p>Yet, none withstanding his fierce desire to return home, Stephen’s thoughts went back to this one basic question over and over again. How could this have happened? Something so drastically different when everything else was the same.</p><p>“Oh, you damned fool.” Stephen was tearing at his one hair. How could he have been so stupid? Until now he had only been looking at these events superficially and had drawn conclusions without doing any kind of research. The embarrassment of not having thought of this sooner was unbearable.</p><p>Stephen did have his phone on him, but he had to find out that it had no service. Not very surprising, a phone built in 2023 wasn’t likely to work in 2013. If Stephen wanted to quickly get his hands on a lot of information the internet was the evident choice. He would have to ask for a little bit of help. Mordo would be delighted. Stephen grimaced at this thought as he got up and opened the door.</p><p>A man was standing right in front of him with his fist raised in the air. Apparently he had just been about to knock. How long did it take the brain to associate a familiar face with the right name attributed to it? About 100 milliseconds. The cloak of levitation wasn’t a victim to such limitations. Stephen could feel it moving, ready to launch, before he had even able to process the situation.</p><p>“Excuse me. It wasn’t my intention to startle you. The Ancient One asked me to check if you were in need of something.”</p><p>Kaecilius were blatantly raised an eyebrow, not deeming hiding his confusion worth a single effort. It was a bizarre image to see him in a none-aggressive state, only mildly annoyed by Stephen’s weird silence.</p><p>Stephen reminded himself of it. 2013. He felt overwhelmed by the very simple fact that the very same man he had seen being swallowed whole by the dark dimension was here right in front of him. Without trying to stab him with a blade from the mirror dimension. The surprise quickly got replaced by cold rage. This man had killed the Ancient One, had tried to kill Stephen and had killed lots of others. He had tried to unleash Dormammu upon this planet. Stephen was strongly tempted to get some retaliation by going back to a very primal form of dealing with conflict. Smashing his fist against Kaecilius’ jaw would definitely bestow a feeling of sweet release over Stephen.</p><p>“Doctor Strange? Are you alright? You look like you are about to pass out and I would prefer to not be the one who has to deal with that.”</p><p>What a charming fellow. That was his only crime until now. Everything else hadn’t happened yet and maybe it wouldn’t even happen in the way Stephen expected it to. Stephen finally got a grip on himself he wanted to play this off as coolly as he possibly could. “How very considerate of you. Actually, there is indeed something that I need.”</p><p>Granted, Kaecilius didn’t look very eager to fulfil whatever wish Stephen had, but no matter how hard Stephen tried he couldn’t spot any hostility. “And that would be?”</p><p>“A phone or a laptop with an Internet connection.”</p><p>Kaecilius frowned, but it was barely noticeable. “That… is not what I expected.”</p><p>“I also need to talk to the Ancient One.” Doing his best to ignore Kaecilius Stephen walked past him and instantly heard the other’s footsteps following him.</p><p>“So you are the future Sorcerer Supreme.” Although this statement sounded rather nonchalant, he knew better.</p><p>“Yes, I am.” Stephen said simply, not sharing the knowledge that things could be changed. It might not be easy but definitely possible.</p><p>“The Sorcerer Supreme travels back in time and he wants to go online?”</p><p>“Easiest way to find out what else is different from how it’s supposed to be.”</p><p>“Here.” Having caught up with him Kaecilius handed him a phone which Stephen accepted dumbfounded. “Just don’t take any long distance calls.”</p><p>A bit suspiciously Stephen looked at the phone. Help coming from an unexpected place was still help. “Thanks…” It sounded awkward but Stephen had no time to care when he was already going through newspaper articles about the Invasion.</p><p>At first he couldn’t find anything different from what had originally happened. Aliens attacking New York. Led by a strange man with a horned helmet. Stopped and defeated by a group of six people. Five people and a green monster. The Avengers. Nothing that Stephen hadn’t already known. Until he stumbled over an article that offered him a new piece of information, something that had never happened. According to the news Tony Stark had been hospitalised during the hours following the invasion after suffering a heart attack. He had left the hospital again after only an hour.</p><p>Stephen could hear his own heartbeat and feel the blood pulsing in his ears. There was this brief moment when he feared that the dizziness he had felt after falling through the portal would come back. Disappointment clawed at him now that he knew where he was and it was further from home than he had originally thought.</p><p>This was indeed 2013. The 2013 Stark and Rogers had gone to in search for the Tesseract and the Sceptre. Stephen had ended up in an alternate timeline.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chance encounter</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello everybody,</p><p>Things don't go well for Stephen, so let's make them worse :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“You’re doing it again. That look on your face. Like a child that just realised it built the most elaborate sandcastle too close to the water and the next wave will sweep it away. Then you have to start all over again.”</p><p>Stephen had zoned out, he hardly realised that Kaecilius was talking to him. During these few short moments Stephen was too caught up in his own contemplations to pay any attention to his surroundings. This was proof. Stephen had literal proof of where he was in his hands and within seconds he felt way more lost than before. Other dimension, he had been there. Turn back time – done that. But this? This was an alternate timeline that Rogers, Stark, Lang and Banner had artificially created when they had done what they had to do to undo Thanos’ horror. There was no logical explanation for Stephen ending up here. An alternate timeline should be completely out of his reach. All the laws of physics and magic clearly stated that. Stephen hated it when somebody or something was breaking the rules.</p><p>Yet here he was, caught in said timeline, standing right next to a man who had once tried to kill him and who was now patiently waiting for him to get a grip. Granted, that was the least of his problems. Kaecilius hadn’t snapped yet and he probably wouldn’t do so for the next couple of years. Evidently Stephen should have his focus on the very thing that drastically altered this timeline from the past he was familiar with. The theft of the Time Stone. Nothing the Avengers had done could have provoked this event. At least nothing that Stephen could think of.</p><p>“Doctor Strange? You don’t look too good. Should I be concerned?” It was Kaecilius’ blasé tone that brought Stephen back to the here and now.</p><p>“I also don’t feel so good. I need to talk to the Ancient One.”</p><p>Rather clumsily Stephen handed the phone back and headed towards the centre of the temple with hurried, nervous steps. Kaecilius was following close behind.</p><p>Mordo was talking to the Ancient One, a conversation that Stephen was gladly going to interrupt. “I need to speak to you. Now.”</p><p>Naturally the Ancient One didn’t seem the slightest bit surprised. Neither by his request nor by his impoliteness. Very unlike Mordo who gaped slightly at what he probably considered insolence. Stephen honestly couldn’t care less.</p><p>“Certainly. What is bothering you?”</p><p>Quickly Stephen’s eyes darted to Mordo, then back to the Ancient One. “Alone. From one Sorcerer Supreme to the other.”</p><p>That obviously did it for Mordo although Stephen hadn’t even intended to use it as a provocation. “I don’t care what you call yourself where you come from, but here you are a stranger. A guest. Better show some respect.”</p><p>There was a good chance of Stephen sending him to another dimension if he didn’t shut up soon.</p><p>“Would the two of you leave Stephen and me alone, please? It will not take very long.”</p><p>Kaecilius and Mordo both left, the latter one begrudgingly and Stephen didn’t care. Right now he was on a mission. “Why didn’t you think it necessary to tell me that you gave Banner the Time Stone about one year ago?”</p><p>The Ancient One gave him one of her patient smiles as if she had been expecting that question for a while now. “Have I made a mistake assuming that you were aware of it? You were the reason I gave it to him. Captain America brought it back a few days later.”</p><p>Right, Stephen still wasn’t able to understand how the Avengers could have assumed that they were capable of returning the Stones to the exact moment where they had been taken. Time kept moving on. If they had tried returning the Stones further back in time, they would have created a new timeline with two Time Stones in it. Nevertheless, the Stone had been given back to the Ancient One. How could this be linked to it being stolen months later?</p><p>Covering his face with his hands Stephen sucked in a deep breath, trying to take a moment to order all the different thoughts running through his head. “How can I be here? This is not the past I have lived through. It has been changed and it should not be possible for me to be here. Not without the Stone itself or Stark’s or Lang’s device. Which both have been destroyed.”</p><p>With her usual calm demeanour the Ancient One nodded. “The Time Stone may have been stolen, but it still continues to exist. It still has its power.”</p><p>“Sure, but there is not a single reason for Thanos to use the Stone to bring me here. That wouldn’t make any sense.”</p><p>The Ancient One’s face showed surprise and worry. “You believe it’s Thanos who took the Stone?”</p><p>“The description you have given me perfectly fits one of his henchmen. How come you didn’t think of this yourself? Especially after Banner had come to get the Stone to bring back all the people Thanos had killed.”</p><p>This reproach did nothing to unsettle her. “As you know yourself, Stephen, there are far more beings out there that pose a threat to our planet and universe than just Thanos.”</p><p>“Just Thanos…” Stephen huffed in great offence. “This monster erased all existing life with a snap of his fingers. Most of them were brought back, but others will not come back. Never. He has left wounds that will never heal. Among those who disappeared and those who remained. These is no ‘just Thanos’.”</p><p>Stephen’s hands were shaking and the Ancient One took silently notice of it. “It was not my intention to downplay your suffering, but as the Sorcerer Supreme it is my duty to keep an eye on all possible threats. Thanos does not have a reputation of rather quietly stealing what he wants. I definitely do not have your experience with him, but I feel very safe in assuming that he wasn’t subtle when he came to get the Time Stone from you.”</p><p>Confirmation wasn’t necessary, Stephen’s face said it all. The memories flooding his mind easily crossed his resistance. He didn’t want to think of it, but saw everything clearly in front of him.</p><p>Stark’s ridiculous babbling about an ice-cream flavour being named after him. The open attack in the streets of New York. A brutal fight and his own failure. Stark had come after him though, with the kid. Everything about it had been blunt, painful and harsh. No subtlety whatsoever. Thinking about it had the pain in his hands resurging. “You are right. Thanos’ methods tend to be a lot more gruesome. This doesn’t change though that the creature you described to me is working for Thanos. In 2013 he should be nowhere near any of the Stones. If he indeed has the Time Stone, we are in a lot of trouble.”</p><p>His terror didn’t affect the Ancient One. Only slightly she tilted her head and offered Stephen a reassuring smile. “No, we are not. In this time, this universe, you are still a doctor. I am still the Sorcerer Supreme and it is my responsibility to protect this planet. You have the same responsibilities, but not here. You are needed somewhere else and therefore we need to find a way to send you home.”</p><p>Despite feeling unsure Stephen nodded. In the very back of his mind he had already thought of another way that might help him get back to where he belonged. He really didn’t want to do it.</p><p>***</p><p>As he opened his eyes there was a fleeting second during which Stephen gave into temptation and let himself believe that he was home. That Thor had either never showed up or that Stephen had told him to mind his own business. The unfamiliar and rather rough bedsheets left no doubt about his situation, unfortunately. Stephen wasn’t home.</p><p>He could not have slept much. Only due to the Ancient One’s insistence he had lain down in the first place. Stephen could be Sorcerer Supreme for over a thousand years and he would still feel like he had to do as she asked.</p><p>After getting out of bed and freshening up a little Stephen wandered through the halls of the Kamar-Taj, hoping that a little stroll would help him coming up with a solution. Every fibre of his being rejected the idea of going to New York to seek out help. Stephen simply had no right to do that. For once he should be capable of doing something on his own. Or at least with the help of people who knew what they were in for.</p><p>The sound of recruits in training reached his ears and Stephen slowly walked into the yard. He felt like he should be walking into Wang at any second and he would be taunted for taking so long to finally show up. Of course that didn’t happen.</p><p>Instead Stephen got to watch the training of recruits that he had never seen before, at least most of them. A little further away from the main group were Kaecilius and Mordo, both with their back to Stephen. Just seeing them together, conversing, with their heads close together was utterly bizarre. Stephen had only ever seen them trying to tear each other’s throat out. Kaecilius still being a functioning member of the Masters of the Mystics Arts was another issue that Stephen didn’t know of if he should get involved in or not. It would be fairly easy. Go up to the Ancient One and tell her ‘Kaecilius is going to kill you’. What changes would that bring about? Stephen was so sick of messing with time. Why not a more direct approach?</p><p>Stephen took his time walking up to them and he deliberately became slower when he caught a few words.</p><p>“… Supreme? It’s still three years till he is supposed to even show up here and he becomes the Sorcerer Supreme? I don’t see her making him her successor. I don’t trust him.”</p><p>Kaecilius answered in such a soft-spoken manner that had Stephen asking himself if the other man was even capable of raising his voice. “That doesn’t really matter, because she trusts him.”</p><p>“Maybe a little too easily.”</p><p>Having reached them Stephen made no attempt to be quiet anymore. “Perhaps the both of you are talking a bit too loudly.”</p><p>Making Mordo flinch was almost funny. Kaecilius remained cool as a fish though. Once he had recovered from the surprise Mordo gave Stephen a cold look. “I said nothing that you are not allowed to hear. I don’t trust you.”</p><p>Stephen nodded. “That is smart. After all you don’t know me.”</p><p>Mordo refused to continue the conversation since Stephen had agreed with him. He preferred to grind his jaw and to walk away. Kaecilius stayed where he was, looking at Stephen with mild interest. “The two of you hit it off immediately.”</p><p>This was among the strangest moments in Stephen’s life already. “I always make a great first impression.”</p><p>God have mercy on his soul, Kaecilius actually smiled at that. “Do we know each other in the future? Your future.”</p><p>“Barely.” Stephen pressed the word through gritted teeth and Kaecilius didn’t miss that. “I suppose we don’t get along very well.”</p><p>“No. Actually I am friends with him.” Stephen tilted his head in the direction in which Mordo had left.</p><p>“Well, maybe there will be enough time for you to win him over. Any plans yet on how to bring you home?”</p><p>“I am working on it.”</p><p>“I see. Unfortunate for you, of course. Not so much for us. One powerful sorcerer more is definitely welcome especially at this time.”</p><p>This was the very time during this conversation that Stephen wasn’t thinking about leaving. “Why? Are you facing a particular threat?”</p><p>“There hasn’t been a magical attack, but we’ve been registering surges of power all over the planet. Always the same source. Moves incredibly fast and disappears for weeks. Until now we have been unable to track the source down.”</p><p>An uneasy feeling crept up inside of Stephen, crawling from his guts to his head. He was unable to name the reason. “Since when? When have these surges started to appear?”</p><p>Kaecilius gave it some thought. “About a year ago.”</p><p>A year ago. When all of this had started. That seemed like a rather big coincidence. A year ago the Avengers had come for the Stones. What if Stephen started looking for more irregularities? Would there be a pattern? “Just how powerful are we talking about?”</p><p>“Immensely. If you are still here the next time it pops up, you’ll notice. It’s one of these things that cannot be overlooked.”</p><p>“What is it doing? Immense power doesn’t usually just pop up and disappear again without being used for something.”</p><p>Kaecilius indicated a small shrug. “If it’s doing something, it’s doing it subtly. You seem rather interested in this occurrence.”</p><p>Stephen was already turning away as he softly muttered an answer. “It’s my responsibility to be interested in everything that is out of the ordinary.”</p><p>There was a chance that all of these events were linked, but at the moment Stephen was still clinging to the hope that the solution would suddenly come to him. The best course of action would definitely be to search for a way back in the library. A warm feeling spread inside Stephen’s chest when he thought about how furious Wong would be the second he was going to see Stephen browsing through the Sorcerer Supreme’s personal books.</p><p>***</p><p>96 agonizing hours later Stephen was close to either using violence against himself or everybody close to him. Frustration wasn’t enough of a word to describe the state he was in. Every waking second was either spent mediating or reading every book at his disposal. Despite his best efforts Stephen hadn’t been able to make a single step forward. It still felt like he had fallen through the portal seconds ago. With every hour that passed Stephen felt more trapped in a time where he didn’t belong. A time where Wong wasn’t in the charge of the library.</p><p>Days had gone by. Whatever danger the Guardians of the Galaxy had found themselves in, Stephen was no longer able to help them. Another failure to be added to a long list. Not only needed Stephen to return back home, he was sick of feeling so out of place. The Ancient One treated him like she always had, maybe even more as an equal. Stephen wouldn’t doubt her trust in him for a single moment. Everybody else… that was a different story.</p><p>Most people’s opinion of him still didn’t matter to Stephen, but he had to admit that he was getting weary of the constant, sceptical glances that he was constantly receiving. Who was this man who nobody knew? Who showed up out of nowhere and called himself the Sorcerer Supreme? Mordo definitely wasn’t the only one who distrusted him.</p><p>Letting his head drop back Stephen stared at the ceiling and massaged his temples. He missed the Sanctum, the familiar smell of it and his music. Sure, the Kamar-Taj wasn’t an unknown place and yet Stephen felt like an intruder. During these instances he did find some comfort in the cloak of levitation which would actually hug him. Sometimes Stephen wondered if it could read his mind.</p><p>“I see you are making a lot of progress.”</p><p>Stephen’s instincts almost had him firing his magic at Kaecilius. There was simply no way to ever get used to the other’s presence at the Kamar-Taj. Not when Stephen knew that the older version of him was stuck in Dormammu’s dimension. Forever.</p><p>Trying to look cool and unapproachable at once Stephen sent him a harsh glance. “It is impolite to sneak up on people.”</p><p>Unimpressed Kaecilius came closer. “I didn’t. You simply didn’t hear me. Given your good mood I assume that you haven’t found anything useful in the books.”</p><p>Stephen decided to just ignore him, then hopefully Kaecilius would leave him alone again. The exact opposite happened. Kaecilius sat down at the other end of the table, grabbing one of the books.</p><p>Completely irritated Stephen stared at him. “What are you doing?”</p><p>“Helping you out.”</p><p>This was a situation too absurd to grasp. “Why?”</p><p>“Because I am interested in the nature of time myself. Also, you must be eager to get home. To your responsibilities and your life.”</p><p>Honestly, Stephen had no idea how to deal with that. There was no lack of trying but he couldn’t sense any ill intent here. Yes, he knew about Kaecilius’ fascination with time and where it would lead him. Nonetheless Kaecilius’ intention to help him seemed genuine. Stephen wondered when exactly he had been pushed over the edge. Had it been the discovery of the Ancient One using power from the Dark Dimension? What if that hadn’t happened?</p><p>Uttering a ‘Thank you’ was still too much to ask, but Stephen felt the urge to say something. To show a little bit of interest in the other person. “How long have you been here?”</p><p>“Two years.”</p><p>“And where are you originally from?”</p><p>“Denmark. You are right. We really barely know each other.”</p><p>“Don’t take it personally. I am not a very social person.”</p><p>“I would have never guessed.”</p><p>The dearly missed silence returned when they both studied their books. Given the circumstances Stephen wasn’t as attentive as he wanted to be. Having a former or soon-to-be enemy sitting at the same table was a rather big distraction. By the time Stephen had managed to make sense out of the words on the pages, they both got interrupted.</p><p>A portal appeared next to the table. Clearly not a good sign. Mordo was at the other end of it but he didn’t step through. “Kaecilius! There is another appearance. We need to go. Now!”</p><p>Stephen was all in for a change of scenery, especially when there was the opportunity to go after one of the irregularities in this timeline. An immense source of power that appeared out of nowhere and vanished before it could be spotted? Stephen wouldn’t miss it for the world. When Kaecilius got up, Stephen was only one step behind him. Mordo was most unhappy to see Stephen coming along. Luckily though there was no time to protest and followed them through another portal that led to a gorgeous, mountainous landscape. Except for a great view there was nothing there. But there had been.</p><p>Kaecilius had been right, it was impossible to go by unnoticed. Not always did magic leave a signature. Sorcerers and other magic users experienced enough could hide their power, so it would be harder or almost impossible for others to detect their whereabouts. This wasn’t the case here. The ground was soaked in magical energy, it was almost pulsing with it. Impossible to miss. Like footsteps in the snow. Out in the open. Blatant. And definitely powerful.</p><p>Stephen quickly glanced at Kaecilius who wore an expression on his face that said ‘I told you so’.</p><p>“It’s gone.” Mordo stated matter-of-factly, a clear disappointment audible in his voice. “As usual.”</p><p>Walking a bit away from them Stephen put his hand on the ground. The very same sensation. How far would he have to go for the lingering energy to decrease? It was impressive and slightly unsettling.</p><p>“This was deliberate.”</p><p>Behind him Stephen could Mordo hear uttering a single word. “What?”</p><p>“They did this deliberately. It’s like a massive call to attention. Leaving behind such an obvious energy signature. Somebody who yields such an amount of power to leave behind this kind of signature… is also capable of hiding his signature completely. This was done on purpose.”</p><p>By now Mordo and Kaecilius had caught up with him. “Why they would draw attention to themselves and disappear before we get here?”</p><p>“I have no idea and I don’t like it.”</p><p>“Why? Because they are more powerful than you?” </p><p>Stephen didn’t react to the patronizing in the way Mordo probably had expected. “I am not quite sure, but yes, that worries me.”</p><p>Silence was the only response he got. Something was inherently wrong with this timeline. Thanos had the Time Stone and there was some other immense power popping up and disappearing again at their leisure. This could also be Thanos or another minion. Or something else entirely. What had the Avengers done to derail things like that? Ultimately it was all Stephen’s fault anyway. “Let’s get back to the Kamar-Taj.”</p><p>Now that his curiosity was sparked Stephen asked for a list of the all the appearances of this unknown power. Perhaps he could find a pattern, something to work with. Mordo was quick to ignore his request, but Kaecilius eventually gave Stephen what he wanted. While telling him that they had already had this idea. Still worth a try.</p><p>***</p><p>Nowadays Stephen didn’t often think back to his life before become a sorcerer. When he did, Stephen mostly remembered the little things about being a surgeon. How much pleasure he had found in the operating theatre. The wave he had ridden, knowing that he was the best, that he could do things that were impossible for most others. What usually didn’t come to Stephen’s mind were details about his private life. Like his apartment. The most wonderful view of the most beautiful side of New York. Everybody who had ever entered Stephen’s apartment had started swooning over it. Stephen had enjoyed it too, but most forgotten about it.</p><p>Tonight though he felt himself being transported back into his former living room. This view was even better. Millions of lights were lying in front of him and up this high the city almost appeared to be quiet. Stephen wished he were able to simply enjoy the sight like he had before. Tonight his eyes were fixed on a building that had never interested him back then. Now Stephen couldn’t take his eyes off the Stark Tower. It was always a possibility to just go there. The very last thing Stephen could do. 19 days had passed. Not nearly enough to reach that level of desperation. Yes, Stephen was desperate, just not enough.</p><p>After releasing a sigh Stephen took another deep breath of the cool air and then conjured up a portal to bring him back to the Kamar-Taj. His little trip had to come to an end. Or it would have. If the calm of the night hadn’t been cruelly interrupted by thunder and lightning. Not the ones that occurred naturally.</p><p>“Damn…” Stephen muttered under his breath as he felt his heartrate quickening. It wasn’t even far away. Thor conjuring thunder and lightning. Unsure Stephen remained where he was, watching the spectacle. This was nothing unfamiliar, Stephen knew that there had to be a fight going on. No matter what year, Thor was a god who was perfectly capable of taking care of himself.</p><p>Except that it was 2013 and Thor shouldn’t even be back on earth yet. Just standing here was wrong, Stephen could feel the electricity in the air. Something bad was going on and Thor was a friend, Stephen should help.</p><p>His own thought had him grimacing. Helping Thor. Wasn’t that exactly how he had ended up in this mess? Then again, this wasn’t this Thor’s fault. Stephen should already be on his way to support him. Still, Stephen was hesitating. If he went there chances were good that he would run into Iron Man. That couldn’t happen.</p><p>Standing here like a coward when a friend was in trouble was no option either. Stephen would go there, but remain hidden and only interfere if Thor was indeed in need of help. This seemed to be the safest approach. Stephen sucked in a quick breath and closed the portal to Kamar-Taj to open another one. Central Park. At least there wouldn’t be a lot going on at this time of night.</p><p>Well, this exact thought seemed rather silly the very moment Stephen reached his destination. A lot was going on. Blue crackling lightning was tearing up the ground, half a tree was flying past Stephen. And that wasn’t all of it. The air was so full of magic that Stephen feared he would be unable to breathe if he stayed too long. This was it. The signature he had been incapable of tracing was all over this place. A rush of nervous excitement went through Stephen. It was about time that something worked out in his favour.</p><p>A loud roar resounded, drawn out by the ongoing thunder. Stephen wasn’t sure, but he thought he could make out the words ‘Not this time’. Thor was shouting, swinging his original hammer in his hand as he launched at… something. There was nothing to see except for mist and a torn apart park. While Stephen was still trying to get a grasp of the situation, it suddenly changed completely.</p><p>Thor just stopped. Mid-air, mid-movement. Something seemed to have grabbed him, he was definitely struggling. A cold shower was running down Stephen’s back when he saw their surroundings changing. A gaping, menacing portal opened up behind Thor, its edges familiar to teeth. With horror Stephen stared inside of it, but nothing that he saw on the other side reminded him of earth. It was better to never find out where it would lead to. Staying out of this was no longer an option, not when some invisible was slowly pushing Thor towards the portal.</p><p>Throwing his hands up Stephen summoned his magic in the form of long golden strings that wrapped themselves around Thor’s legs and arms to pull him back. Whatever power Stephen was working against, it was fierce. After the first few seconds Stephen could already feel the strain, his mental abilities weren’t enough he also had to put his body into it. Drops of sweat were running down his forehead as Stephen tried with all of his might to hold on to Thor.</p><p>This wasn’t going to work, Stephen had to find whoever was working against him and…</p><p>An undignified yelp passed Stephen’s lips when a blunt blast of pure energy hit his back, tossing him to the ground like a child. Thor’s angry and slightly angry shouts were reaching Stephen’s ears and Stephen couldn’t fail again. He raised his head just in time to see Thor being swallowed by the portal and it closing up a second later.</p><p>“Damn it!” Stephen struggled back to his feet, but froze when the mist around him suddenly cleared up. The air itself seemed to be shifting, parting and a tall figure appeared. Not walking through a portal, literally coming out of nothing. A hand made of ice closed around Stephen’s heart with every step the figure came closer. With a casual gesture the figure pulled back the hood of its black coat, revealing a pale face and a dark shock of hair.</p><p>Once more Stephen cursed under his breath. This whole timeline and everybody in it should be damned.</p><p>“And who are you?” Loki said with an amused yet dangerous smile. “You fancy yourself as some kind of sorcerer?”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Everything's wrong</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Of all the timelines in existence, Stephen walks into Loki’s. Seeing the Asgardian in front of him like this made Stephen desperately long for 2024. Another thing wasn’t like it was supposed to be.</p><p>As quickly as he could and not very gracefully Stephen got back up on his feet. There simply was no way he would continue to kneel in front of the power-hungry sociopath. Stephen was so over teaching Loki a lesson. He neither had the time nor the nerves to deal with that. To deal with the grudge he was definitely feeling Stephen started muttering under his breath “What is this? The Avengers can’t even send him to Asgard like they are supposed to?”</p><p>No matter what timeline, Loki was always easily irritated. That appeared to be a main trait of his personality. Stephen was fairly certain that Loki had been able to make out what he had said, there was enough distance between them. Nonetheless, he had seen Stephen’s lips move. No need to be a genius to figure out that it had been flattering.</p><p>“I beg your pardon. I must have missed what you said.”</p><p>Now that Stephen was over the initial shock of seeing another person that he really wanted nothing to do with he was rather annoyed than worried. Another little thorn in his side. The proper course of action would be to wrap Loki up in magical strings like a Christmas present and drop him off at the Avengers’ headquarters. Wash his hands off him, good riddance. Yes, that would be the right thing to do and normally Stephen would have done exactly that. Normally he wouldn’t in an alternate timeline and at his wits’ end. Stephen swore to himself that he was never going to tell Wong, because then the other one was never going to let it go. To be honest, Stephen simply couldn’t be bothered. Not today.</p><p>“Oh, just go away.” Stephen mimicked what he had done the last and only time he had seen the Asgardian with a god complex. Nonchalantly he opened a portal and with a quick gesture of his hand he let it fly forward so fast that Loki would only realise what had happened when he was already somebody else’s problem. Whoever was hanging out in this fire dimension would not be thrilled.</p><p>Done. Stephen let out a little overdramatic sigh of relief and enjoyed the newly established and absolute wonderful silence. He would have to figure out now where Loki had sent Thor and bring him back. Despite knowing better Stephen already felt a little spark of hope inside of him. Thor might not be a magic user in the technical sense, but he definitely was a mystical being with a vast knowledge and a bit superficial knowledge. Most importantly, Thor had connections to Asgard and to other worlds, he might be able to provide some help for Stephen’s dilemma. Until now Stephen hadn’t thought of contacting him, because Thor too wasn’t supposed to be here. On Earth. Not until six months in the future. Perhaps he was going to shed some light on the entire situation.</p><p>Before Stephen could start concentrating on how to locate Thor he heard a voice right behind him. It was perfectly familiar, out of place and it made Stephen flinch.</p><p>“Now that was a neat trick.”</p><p>Spinning around in a very undignified way Stephen spotted Loki standing there with his arms crossed as if nothing had happened. The smug and lurking expression on his face reminded Stephen of a venomous snake. One that wouldn’t immediately devour its prey. Instead it preferred to watch it suffer and die. It killed for fun.</p><p>All of Stephen’s senses went into high alert. Everything had changed. Something that he had not anticipated and Stephen now needed to adapt to that. Loki should not have been able to do this. Yet he was standing right in front of Stephen, his smile sharp as a knife. This was not the person Stephen was familiar with. Stephen couldn’t be sure what was in store for him. Except for one thing. Loki was going to pounce any second, digging his teeth into Stephen’s skin. Like the snake that he was. Now Stephen needed to be quicker and he could not repeat his mistake. No casualness this time.</p><p>“Yes, this one’s too.”</p><p>Stephen acted quickly and took his magic to form strings and ropes. This time he wouldn’t be fooled, because Stephen took the extra effort to make sure that they were firm and tight. Created to keep someone as slippery as Loki from getting away. Another failure simply wasn’t allowed.</p><p>Luckily Stephen’s aim hadn’t suffered unlike his patience and general mental state. The golden strings wrapped themselves snugly around Loki’s wrist, pulling them close together. Stephen pulled and by the looks of it the binds were too tight, cutting into Loki’s skin although his arms were completely covered by his dark sleeves. Not that Stephen minded very much, it was a rather good thing.</p><p>The lack of an immediate reaction was unsettling though. With mild curiosity Loki lifted his hands to get a closer look at his restraints. Nothing about his demeanour gave Stephen the impression that Loki was upset or even annoyed. Although Stephen wasn’t going to admit to himself that the lack of swearing and cursing worried him, he instinctively tightened his grip.</p><p>“These are interesting.” Meeting Stephen’s gaze Loki smirked. With his entire face. It was perfectly visible in his eyes. That guy was having fun and it caused a tight knot to form inside of Stephen’s chest. This was neither the expected nor the appropriate reaction. Stephen was thinking back to that blessed, wonderful time when he had used the simplest of spells to trap Loki in a never-ending loop of falling. Back then Stephen had even thought that it was ridiculously clever, although he would have never admitted to that even with a gun at his head. Everything Stephen did had to look casual like it was no big deal to him. Just like when he had been a surgeon. Stephen had never been cured of his arrogance despite the Ancient One’s best attempts.</p><p>With a scalpel in his hands Stephen had never been the cause of somebody else’s death.</p><p>“Finally somebody who is capable of some craftwork.” Loki’s smile was both excited and condescending. “This should be fun.”</p><p>“Shit…” Stephen mumbled under his breath as the colour drained from his face. Evidently he was not the only person who liked to make complicated and big achievements look a walk in the park. Slowly, almost with pleasure, Loki pulled his arms up to his chest and then abruptly moved them back forth as if he was trying to throw something. The binds flew off and evaporated. Just like this. Magic made by Stephen stripped off a being who had the guts to not even look exhausted by this incredible feat. The overwhelming urge to physically hurt Loki in retaliation for this humiliation came over Stephen, but there was also the knowledge that it was going to be a lot harder than expected.</p><p>Also there was no more time to lose or to be inattentive. This was not going to be nice.</p><p>Stephen conjured a shield and not a second too late. The amusement and the playfulness had vanished from Loki’s face and all that was left now was the expression of a predator lusting for blood. Never would Stephen feel allow himself to feel like prey in Loki’s presence who had nothing to show but a series of failed attempts of gaining power to make himself into an important creature when he was merely a pitiful creature.</p><p>Said creature leaped at him and two enormous surges of green magic gushing from his palms. Sparks were flying when Loki’s attack hit Stephen’s shield and two hostile forces of magic connected with a loud almost metallic rattle. Stephen’s boots skidded across the ground, he was being pushed back by the sheer power of it. Only after a few seconds Stephen had succeeded in firmly planting his feet and stand up to the force that was trying to push him away like a child. The heat coming from it was extraordinary. Searing. Painfully so. Stephen had no choice but turn his face away from it. Loki’s attack wasn’t a single forceful stroke but a continuing assault, a flow of magic that seemingly wouldn’t stop. If Stephen wanted to get the upper hand in this he would have to launch a counter attack. With his left hand Stephen firmly held onto his shield while the right one was gathering magic from his core. Stephen was going to make sure that Loki was going to crawl away from this battle field.</p><p>After mentally counting to three Stephen let the shield vanish and at the same time fired his magic. Their powers connected once more, this time both of them full of aggression. Sweat was dripping off Stephen’s forehead as he was trying to gain a little bit of territory to push the other one’s power away, but it was so much more strenuous than expected which still didn’t make any sense to Stephen. For the moment they seemed evenly matched. As long as neither of them was going to let up, none of them was going to get hurt. At least until somebody got tired and stopped concentrating for a single second. They must have shared the same thought, as uncomfortable as that might be, because they both stopped at the exact same moment.</p><p>It was shameful, but Stephen was slightly gasping for air from the strain and opposite of him there was Loki, looking perfectly fine and pleased. A mad and somewhat morbid smile played around his lips. “Do you need a break?”</p><p>Being patronized was something that Stephen could not stand. Every fibre of his being was protesting. It wasn’t worthy of the Sorcerer Supreme, but he was going to get some very base pleasure from putting Loki in his place. Not wasting a second Stephen decided that it was time to bring out the big guns. He was not going to deal with this any longer.</p><p>Relying on the reassuring presence of his sling ring Stephen conjured a gateway to mirror dimension like he had done so many years ago on Titan. Only this time Stephen felt way different. He was not fighting a useless fight that was going to end up in someone else’s death anyway.</p><p>Stephen flung the gateway at Loki like he had done with Thanos. It had taken the power stone to shatter it, so there was no chance for Loki to get out of this one. Over and done with. The Asgardian didn’t even move. Curiosity had found its face back onto his face as he watched the gateway unfolding around himself. A sigh of relief escape Stephen’s lips although a part of him wondered why Loki wasn’t even trying to flee. Now the mirror fields were covering him completely, hiding him from Stephen’s view. He was trapped. Was this another proof of somebody’s arrogance getting the better of them?</p><p>Slowly Stephen walked closer. The sudden silence in the park was almost eerie and he couldn’t stop himself from waiting for a loud bang. For something else going wrong. It was 2013, Loki and Thor were both still on earth, the Avengers’ Tower was still called Stark Tower. Thanos’ goons had stolen the time stone. How many more differences was Stephen going to come across? What had caused them?</p><p>If this was Rogers’ doing for selfishly going back in them and actually <em>staying </em>there, Stephen would smash his face in. The old-fashioned way. He was grasping at straws obviously. Rogers had created his own alternate timeline which had nothing to do with this one. If Stephen only knew what had gone wrong. Loki was going to help him find Thor and Thor was hopefully going to be able to offer some kind of support. Asgardian magic, anything.</p><p>Stephen froze, only a few metres away from the closed gateway. This was not possible. It simply wasn’t. From a dark blue almost black stain on the shiny mirror’s surface an entire portal started to form. Big enough for a dozen of people to walk through. There was only one though. In complete and utter horror Stephen watched Loki slowly strolling through the portal, leaving the mirror dimension behind him. Nobody was supposed to be capable of that. Not without a sling ring. Loki should be trapped inside of there, at Stephen’s mercy. Now Stephen’s mind was racing, trying to find a logical explanation. Loki was a trickster, perhaps this was another one of his illusions. No, casting spells from inside the mirror dimension did not affect the outside world. Somehow, Loki had created his own exit. An achievement that everybody had considered impossible until this very moment.</p><p>Now outside Loki took a second to turn around and marvel at what had been supposed to be his prison. “This is new. I like it.”</p><p>Stephen’s concept of reality had been so profoundly shattered that he couldn’t even pretend to be unfazed by what was happening. “How did you do that? What exactly did you just do?”</p><p>Turning back around Loki grinned and it was all teeth. “This was fun, I’ll admit, but it has lasted long enough. Let’s get this over with.”</p><p>Stephen’s brain only caught up to Loki throwing the dagger when it had almost reached its target. Only thanks to his superior reflexes Stephen could toss it aside with a burst of magic before it buried itself in his chest. The next attack happened so quickly that Stephen had no time to recover. Loki was right in front of him and his outstretched hand was aiming for Stephen’s throat. It was glowing with dark green, pulsing energy. Stephen managed to wrap his hands around Loki’s wrist before the other one could touch him. The pure force he could feel beneath his fingers was frightening. It almost felt like there was no fabric between their skin, Stephen felt as if he was completely immersed in the other’s magic. It had nothing to do with anything he had experienced before.</p><p>The cold realisation came over Stephen when he did not have the strength to physically hold him back and Stephen could not have this magic actually touching him. His best guess was that it was going to burn his skin away. The dagger was proof enough that Loki had no plans to let him walk away from this. He was going to die in an alternate timeline at the hands of an inferior magic user if he didn’t soon come up with an idea. The strength in his arms was fading and Loki might be gritting his teeth, but there was no actual sign of Stephen’s magic getting him to stop any time soon. There had to be some other way. Something way simpler.</p><p>It took an overwhelming effort to get out these few words. “So you are still killing strangers to work up the courage to actually go after your brother?”</p><p>Only for a second Loki let up, irritated by what Stephen had said, but that was all that Stephen needed. He rammed his knee into Loki’s stomach which caused the Asgardian to slightly stumble back. Taking advantage of the situation Stephen opened a portal on the ground right behind Loki. One blast of magic from Stephen and Loki fell, vanishing from sight.</p><p>This time Stephen wasn’t going to be fooled. He created a shield to be ready for a sudden comeback. Stephen wasn’t prepared though for the blast that hit him between the shoulder blades and sent him right to the ground. The pain had just started to spread across Stephen’s entire body when the hard tip of a boot connected with his ribs. Loki used his foot to turn Stephen onto his back and then put it right against Stephen’s neck. Panic rose inside of him when he felt Loki applying pressure, threatening to crush his throat. That was all it was for now. A threat and a quite convincing one.</p><p>Loki was looming over him like an actual angel of death with both of his hands glowing with actual black magic. His green eyes were bright and hostile. “Who are you?” He asked in a cutting voice that assured Stephen that every possible answer would be wrong.</p><p>Despite the imminent danger Stephen felt the humiliation burn more fiercely. It had him spitting his answer at Loki. “A future acquaintance.”</p><p>Cocking his head Loki looked at him closely and for once it was impossible to make out what was going on in his head. Stephen’s guess was that he was thinking about how to kill him. Then Loki’s expression changed once more. A sly smile returned. “I could just kill you right now, but I think this is going to be way more fun.”</p><p>The pressure subsided and Loki just walked away. Through another portal and he was gone. As quickly as he could Stephen got back up to his feet, but it did nothing to ease the embarrassment and shock that he was feeling. Uneasily he looked around, waiting for a couple of minutes. Loki didn’t come back. There was no new attack. Stephen was completely alone with his thoughts and the sheer disbelief how utterly messed up this timeline was. Confusion quickly turned into fiery anger. Stephen had walked blindly into this because somebody else had failed to warn him when they must have known better.</p><p>Driven by his rage Stephen returned to the Kamar-Taj and burst into a training session that the Ancient One was attending. A single glance at him told her everything she needed to know and she sent everyone away before Stephen even got the chance to make a scene.</p><p>“What happened to you, Stephen?” She asked softly and it felt exactly like the very first time he had met her. Discontent with everything she was saying, knowing that she was deliberately keeping things from him. Stephen thought he could tear the temple down. “Loki, son of Odin and brother of Thor happened to me. How on Earth is it possible that the man who led the attack on this world is still roaming around freely?! You must have known! He is an enormously mystical threat! Why haven’t you bothered to do something about that yet?!”</p><p>Unimpressed she waited until Stephen had stopped shouting at her. “Are you finished? I am sorry you had an encounter that you were not prepared for.”</p><p>“Prepared for? He is supposed to be in an Asgardian prison! But for some reason he is fighting Thor in Central Park. How long has this been going on?”</p><p>The Ancient One sighed and Stephen momentarily forgot about his anger when he noticed how tired she suddenly looked. “I suppose he did not escape from the Avengers’ custody in your timeline?”</p><p>Stephen was actually going to be sick. “Good God, they absolutely screwed up this timeline when they got the stones. This is a disaster. So he has been out and about since the invasion?”</p><p>“Yes, but he is rarely seen on Earth. I have had the suspicion that he is the energy source that we’ve witnessed appearing and disappearing again, but there has never been a way to be sure.”</p><p>Stephen’s mind was racing, trying to match that new information to what had happened only minutes ago. “Loki is not supposed to be this powerful. He should not be able to leave behind this kind of signature.”</p><p>The Ancient One looked him up and down. “Did he beat you in a fight?”</p><p>Gritting his teeth Stephen shook his head. “He got the upper hand at a certain moment, because I did not expect… There was so much raw power in his attacks. Power that he never possessed. He created a portal that allowed him to leave the mirror dimension! How is that possible?”</p><p>This terrifying piece of information failed to faze the Ancient One. “It never crossed my mind that the Tesseract could be used in this way. An impressive achievement.”</p><p>The last words didn’t even reach Stephen’s ears. There was only one thing that mattered right now. “Wait a second… You are telling me that Loki has never been captured and he also still has the Tesseract? I need to get back home.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Out of left field</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello everybody,</p><p>Stephen still doesn't get a break. I am not sorry ;)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“This is a rather odd place to find the Sorcerer Supreme.”</p><p>By no means had this place been quiet. A seedy little bar in Kathmandu was not where one decides to go for peace and silence. People were talking over their drinks, given the unholy time of the day they were not the most elegant or sophisticated folk. Words were being slurred, the sounds of glasses clinking or being put down on the table with a little too much force. Stephen wasn’t even going to start mentioning the smell. No, definitely not the place he would normally seek out. Nevertheless Stephen had almost enjoyed the seedy atmosphere until this very moment. The fact that nobody was talking to him, that he was being left alone with his thoughts and a glass of cheap whiskey. Also not the stuff that Stephen usually enjoyed, but it burned all the way down his throat and that was good enough.</p><p>Now the blissful pretence had been shattered. Somebody was talking to him. Stephen would have happily spent the entire day without seeing them. Therefore Stephen remained silent, sipped his drink and hoped that Kaecilius would get it. He had claimed to not be a very social person himself, so there was a chance that he would just leave again.</p><p>Except that the complete opposite happened. Kaecilius sat down next to him at the bar and Stephen didn’t even try to keep in a very annoyed sigh. “Now what makes you think that I want to drink with you?”</p><p>“What makes you think that I want a drink?” Kaecilius replied casually. He did look like he didn’t give damn if Stephen should talk to him or not. Then why come here in the first place.</p><p>“There is not much anybody can do here but drink.” Stephen muttered and emptied his glass in one big gulp. Would it be weird for him to claim that he had liked Kaecilius more when the other one had still tried to kill him? Such a claim would be insane, but Stephen longed for some quiet and to be left alone from all the people who reminded him of the horrible state of his existence in a timeline that wasn’t his own. It seemed impossible for him to find some peace.</p><p>“You traded the library against this place. A very interesting choice. Most people would say that it’s unworthy of the Sorcerer Supreme.”</p><p>Stephen gestured at the barkeeper to indicate him to bring him a new glass. Kaecilius obviously wasn’t going to leave him alone, the Ancient One must have sent him to look after Stephen. The irony. “Aren’t we all very lucky then that I am not the actual Sorcerer Supreme in this timeline? The Ancient One is perfectly capable of fulfilling this task. I can get drunk and pity myself.”</p><p>“How utterly dignified.”</p><p>Stephen had nothing but a shrug as an answer and served himself when the bartender put down a new glass in front of him. It tasted disgusting which was wonderfully appropriate. Hopefully Stephen had been rude enough to chase Kaecilius away. Tomorrow Stephen had to go back to trying to find a solution to this mess, to be a functional member of the master of the mystic arts. Tonight though he allowed himself to be exactly what he felt like – an absolute disaster.</p><p>Kaecilius actually let him drink in silence for a few minutes, but his presence was still hanging over Stephen, souring his mood even more. Everything about this timeline seemed to be designed to drive him to madness. Also, he might have damned it to a fate much more horrible than the one his own one had suffered. And it had suffered massively. The very last thing Stephen needed was guilt, he had enough of it on his shoulders away. His bones were breaking underneath it. Salvation couldn’t be found at the bottom of this dirty glass, but it felt better looking for it here than anywhere else.</p><p>Then Kaecilius had to make everything even worse by opening his mouth and every single word slipped so easily under Stephen’s skin. “Sorcerer Supreme is not a position one can resign from. That is not how it works. Have you told the Ancient One how she is going to die?”</p><p>Stephen’s hand closed so tightly around his glass that he felt like it could burst any second. A doubt was already gnawing at him. How far gone was Kaecilius already in 2013? Was he already feeling tempted by the dark dimension? Was he planning the Ancient One’s downfall? Stephen couldn’t stand looking at him when he saw in his mind the bloody and broken mess of the Ancient One’s body on the New York sidewalk. The man right next to him had done that. Was going to do that. With immense pleasure Stephen would like to smash his fist against the other one’s face. He had already paid the price though, lost in the dark dimension. Forever. It was getting hard to separate what had already happened from what was still going to happen. “There is nothing I could tell the Ancient One that she doesn’t already know.”</p><p>Kaecilius looked at him with his stoic, almost disinterested expression which was deeply unsettling, because Stephen knew that he was anything but apathetic. “I highly doubt that. She did not see you coming here. You have been telling her a lot of things that she has no idea about. Like this threat called Thanos.”</p><p>Stephen suppressed a shudder with remarkable effort. Suddenly Thanos’ shadow was again looming over him when there should still be time. Had they damned this timeline to a much sooner arrival of the Titan? When they were not ready. So many of them hadn’t found their place in this world yet. Stephen for example.</p><p>“I am no help for that. Everything here is different. I have no idea what is happening here.”</p><p>“And this is enough of a reason to give up trying to find a way home and to instead drown your sorrows?”</p><p>“Are you just here to annoy me?” Stephen hissed. “Because you definitely are succeeding.”</p><p>Kaecilius shook his head. “No. That is not my intention. You are an extraordinary oddity that showed up out of nowhere. You cannot expect anybody to not be interested.”</p><p>There was nothing special about what he had said. Nothing at all. Nevertheless something inside of Stephen snapped. “I didn’t travel through time. I ended up in a different timeline. Your obsession with time is pointless. It will not get you your family back. So do everyone and yourself a favour and stop it.”</p><p>By the time the last word had passed Stephen’s lips he felt bad about them. Not as much as he probably should have, but there was this gruesome truth that he could not deny. Kaecilius hadn’t done anything yet. Stephen had never seen another side of him than the cold-blooded psychopath. A killer. The man next to him hadn’t hurt anyone yet, but he was going to do it and Stephen had already too much on his plate to figure out how to deal with that. He even had no idea what reaction to expect now. They had never had an interaction that hadn’t ended in violence. A bar fight would fit in here just perfectly.</p><p>“That was uncalled for and cruel.”</p><p>Stephen remembered their confrontation at the Sanctum. The one time he had gained the upper hand. When Stephen had listened to Kaecilius cursing a world that was filled with this all-destroying entity called time. Only then Stephen had seen on his face something else but this constant stoicism. Actual pain and regret. Probably more than Stephen had ever experienced, because in all honesty, there had not been much personal loss in his life so far. Stephen did not know what it meant to lose someone he loved.</p><p>“But I guess you told the truth when you said that we did not get along.”</p><p>Running one hand through his hair Stephen tried to get a grip. To pull himself together enough to act decently. “Look, I am sorry. I was out of line. I just can’t… I am running against walls and it’s taking a toll. It was not my intention to take it out on anybody else. I am sorry.”</p><p>The long longed for silence settled back in and now it was just uncomfortable. Stephen couldn’t put his finger on why. The whiskey hadn’t dimmed his senses nearly enough and Stephen wanted absolution. A simple nod or an ‘alright’ would suffice, but Kaecilius was just sitting there, unmoving and without any emotions visible on his face. The temptation to open a portal and to just disappear was almost overwhelming.</p><p>Until Kaecilius started talking again. His voice was low and it made Stephen flinch nonetheless. “What do you know about my family?”</p><p>“Not much. I know they died and you came to the Kamar-Taj because you were feeling lost. Like we all did when we arrived.”</p><p>“And what did you lose, future Sorcerer Supreme?”</p><p>Stephen hesitated, simply for the fact that he had no interest in having a personal conversation with Kaecilius. No information he wanted to share necessarily. This was a different timeline though, the rules didn’t apply anymore. Mostly Stephen wanted to get rid of his guilty conscience, he couldn’t take any more of it. To illustrate Stephen slightly raised his left hand, the right hand was still closed around the whiskey glass. After the many years that had passed the ugly scars on his hands had mostly faded. Mostly, at least from afar. If somebody decided to take a closer look they would still get a good impression of what this part of Stephen’s body had gone through. “The ability to do what I loved to do. The one thing that defined me. I was a doctor and that was all I was. I was nothing without my hands.”</p><p>“But you became something else. You overcame that, didn’t you?” Stephen felt his chest tightening when he heard the very hint of hope in Kaecilius’ voice. Was this the reason why he was still seeking him out when Stephen hadn’t been anything but distant from everybody at the Kamar-Taj. Maybe except for the Ancient One. When it came to Kaecilius Stephen had done everything in his might to avoid him. More than eight years ago Kaecilius had ended up feeling betrayed by the Ancient One, because she didn’t have the answers he was searching for or the cure for his pain. Stephen didn’t think that any of that hadn’t happened yet, but he wasn’t unwilling to look for support from another source. This was dangerous territory.</p><p>“I got better, but I didn’t overcome anything. I learned that other people are facing the same hardships as me or even worse. Protecting them became my new purpose. That doesn’t mean that I don’t sometimes miss my old life. I do. It feels good though that I have something that is more important than me. I have duties and people to take care of. Something that I can’t do now that I am stuck here. It reminds me of the time when I first came to the Kamar-Taj. Feeling lost.”</p><p>And feeling responsible for damning this timeline to a disastrous fate. Thanos had already claimed the Time Stone and Loki was still running around freely with the Tesseract in his hands, working for Thanos. The attack had to come so much sooner here than it had originally and they had no defences. Stephen was one of the people who had caused this. At the same time his own home was completely without protection from the Sorcerer Supreme.</p><p>“I can understand being sick of feeling lost. Always searching without finding something, walking without getting anywhere. I am not sure if I have found my purpose yet, so let me try and offer you my help. You said yourself that you couldn’t go back alone. I may not be the Sorcerer Supreme, but I am capable and relentless.”</p><p>Their eyes met for the actual first time this evening and Stephen was once more taken aback by the staggering difference. He wondered if Kaecilius had ever told a single lie in his life, because his threats to kill Stephen had appeared just as genuine as his offer to help Stephen. Perhaps Stephen finally had an opportunity to do something right and make a positive difference for somebody. He had already pushed this timeline into Thanos’ clutches, he could at least attempt to stop a talented sorcerer from drifting to the dark side.</p><p>Eventually Stephen slowly nodded. “I appreciate that. Thank you. And I know all about you being relentless.”</p><p>Kaecilius didn’t ask and that was probably for the best. Instead he got up and came closer. “Good. Neither the whiskey nor this place are going to offer you a way back home. Care to leave?”</p><p>Truth to be told, Stephen’s throat was still aching for another glass. It wasn’t going to help though. “Alright. Let’s head back.”</p><p>By no means was he ready for another night buried in books that didn’t provide the answers that he needed. What other choice did he have? As it turned out Kaecilius had no intention of heading towards the library. His approach was rather different. “Maybe it would be for the best to not just concentrate on getting you back, but find out first how you got here. Especially since you’ve been here before.”</p><p>“I wasn’t. Four of the Avengers came here to get the Infinity Stones. I did not know that they would alter things so radically…”</p><p>Kaecilius was frowning, almost as if he wasn’t convinced by Stephen’s story. “Why didn’t you come along?”</p><p>“I had ceased to exist. Like half of the universe.” Stephen gave the shortest of explanations of what Thanos had actually done. His body and soul refused to go through this again. Luckily Kaecilius’ questions did in no way focus on the Titan. “So how did they manage to travel through time without you when they did not have access to the Eye of Agamotto? I fear I do not understand.”</p><p>At this part Stephen actually smiled. “They figured it out. Alone. No magic. Just science.”</p><p>“So there is a way to just move forward in time.”</p><p>Stephen shook his head. “To move forward in this timeline. The technology doesn’t exist yet and even if it did… It would not allow somebody to jump to another timeline.”</p><p>“Be it as it may, you just said yourself that there is somebody with some kind of expertise on time traveling. You need to seek them out. Why haven’t you done that yet?”</p><p>Instantly the smile on Stephen’s face became a distant memory. The mere suggestion had him tensing and his mind refused to even consider this scenario. The rejection was so strong that Stephen even felt an actual sickness in the pit of his stomach. Guilt tasted like bile and it burned down his throat, making it sore. “That is not an option.”</p><p>“Why not?”</p><p>Stephen turned away. “Because I have no right to ask him for anything.”</p><p>***</p><p>This was a bad idea. Without a doubt one of the worst Stephen had ever had. Of course it hadn’t even been his idea in the first place. All of it was Kaecilius’ fault. Planting that thought in Stephen’s head. Until there was nothing else Stephen could think about. Not even going back home. Stephen simply needed to check. To make sure that everything was okay. It should be, but Stephen couldn’t be sure of anything anymore. Not with all the differences he had already discovered. Stephen was scared out of his mind.</p><p>It took him minutes to gather up the courage to even step through the portal and then he was just awkwardly standing on that huge balcony which belonged to the Avengers’ tower. Stark tower. His feet were like frozen to the ground, Stephen couldn’t move and he didn’t want to. There was no need. The gigantic windows revealed everything that there was to see. For once Stephen was in luck. At the right place, at the right time.</p><p>Tony Stark was in the penthouse.</p><p>Stephen got a very good glimpse of him through the spotless glass panels and his mind went blank. It seemed to have been wiped clean as his eyes followed the other man moving around. Even from this distance Stephen could easily make out that Stark’s hair was pitch-black. Not a grey spot visible. The penthouse was hardly illuminated and Stephen’s gaze was instantly drawn to the soft blue light of which Stark himself was the source. He was clad in jeans and a black t-shirt. Except for the arc-reactor Stark looked so perfectly ordinary. Just another man in his early forties, sitting down on his couch, holding a tablet in his hands. Stephen had known that he was going to see him, that Stark was still <em>here</em>.</p><p>And yet Stephen could not stand the sight of him. As soon as his body had overcome the initial numbness Stephen fell into a state of panic that was completely unknown to him. There was not a single memory in Stephen’s mind that showed him running away from a confrontation, no matter how uncomfortable it might be. He hadn’t come here with the intention to talk to Stark. No, Stephen had planned to linger in the shadows, to just look at him to make sure that he was there. Alive.</p><p>Now he was not able to do that. It was literally impossible. His body refused. Inside his chest Stephen’s heart was beating fast enough to make him believe that he was facing mortal danger. That this was the last place on Earth where he should be. Then the little voice in his mind joined in and it screamed at him with pure, unfiltered terror. Get away. Leave. Go anywhere, just get away from here. A burning sensation joined in, like a blade from the mirror dimension being agonizingly slowly pushed into the back of his neck, drilling into his skull. You have no right to even be here.</p><p>When he was opening a portal to leave Stephen’s hands were shaking as if he was trying to use chopsticks. On the other side Stephen bent over with his hands on his knees, breathing heavily. He felt close to retching and the pain throbbing inside of his skull hadn’t subsided yet. A soft touched grazed over his cheek that Stephen barely registered. It took him a few moments to realise that the cloak of levitation was trying to snap him out of this panic attack. If it could be called that.</p><p>“I am alright. I am okay.” Stephen mumbled more to himself than to his loyal companion. His pathetic attempt didn’t sound very convincing to his own ears and the only person listening was of the same opinion.</p><p>“Are you sure? You certainly look a little pale. Like your head could hit one of these rocks at any second. Wouldn’t that be a waste?”</p><p>Every word was dripping with amusement and even Stephen would have trouble to be this patronizing. Nevertheless this wasn’t what made the blood freeze in his veins. It was unpleasant and scary, but nothing in comparison to what he had just gone through. Raising his head Stephen straightened up and met Loki’s gaze without hesitation. A wicked smirk was put on display on Loki’s face, as to be expected. One of his eyebrows was slightly raised to mock Stephen. Standing there with his arms crossed he couldn’t possibly look more casual, but Stephen knew better. So Loki was tailing him. Was Thanos aware of Stephen? Why would he even matter to him? Stephen did not possess an Infinity Stone. Was the Titan aware that Stephen came from another timeline? And what was Loki’s mission? To gain information or to slit Stephen’s throat? Stephen wasn’t going to make it easy for him either way.</p><p>Curling his fingers into loose fists on either side of his body Stephen slowly gathered his magic to be ready for the inevitable attack. Loki had to be aware of it, but he didn’t move a muscle.</p><p>“Don’t you have something else to do than follow me around?”</p><p>Loki chuckled and his entire demeanour told Stephen that the other one didn’t have a single care in the world. Ignoring that tantalizing sound Stephen carefully took in the other’s appearance more intensely than he had the last time. The black coat was nicely tailored, tight around the waist and reached down to Loki’s knees. His boots were just as black as the trousers that snuggly hugged his long legs. Even the gloves were black. The outfit may cover all of his body, but it did not leave a lot of possibilities to store the Tesseract. Stephen doubted that he was physically carrying it on his person. A pocket dimension seemed far more likely. It was time to come up with a plan. Fast.</p><p>“This dull little planet doesn’t offer a lot of entertainment when the so called God of thunder is not throwing his hammer at me.”</p><p>Stephen wondered if Thor was still trapped in whatever place Loki had sent him to and why hadn’t Stephen started looking for him yet.</p><p>Completely relaxed Loki took a look around as he continued talking. “I am aware that the Man of Iron took on a rather ghastly appearance, but I did not think it was so bad to put you in such a state of shock. Or is it just so easy to upset you? Please say yes, because I am going to have a blast.”</p><p>Stephen’s brain should be taking in the important information that Loki was revealing. Like the fact that Loki had obviously been following him around and that Stephen hadn’t been aware. He should be worrying about the things Loki could have heard or witnessed. Instead there was only one thing that Stephen could think about. This version of Loki, powered with an Infinity Stone, had been at the Stark Tower. He had seen Stark, had been in his presence. The person who had stopped the invasion and had shattered Loki’s plans. If there was one person in the world known to hold a grudge – it was Loki.</p><p>The tremor was not related to the fact that Stephen’s fists started shaking.</p><p>“Has your master sent you after me or after him?” Stephen asked lowly and one of Loki’s eyebrows went up again. Seemingly confused. It didn’t last longer than a second. Then he huffed, once more clearly entertained. “There is no need to break something that’s already in pieces. I went there to kill him months ago, but I decided it would be a waste of effort, because he is already doing it himself. It’s so much more satisfying to see a man putting the noose around his own neck than throwing him off the cliff.”</p><p>Stephen had learned the hard way that there was no place for emotions in a fight. He was a man of strategy, planning and cunning. Stephen never attacked if he hadn’t already planned half of the fight in his head, if he hadn’t taken into consideration what his opponent could possibly throw at him. All of that was forgotten and it hadn’t left a trace.</p><p>Overtaken by a blind rage that Stephen had only felt in the immediate days after his accident, he put all the power at his disposal into one big blast. There was no satisfaction in seeing Loki’s eyes widen in surprise. The Asgardian didn’t even get to raise a finger in his defence, his was caught completely off-guard. Untamed and fierce golden energy knocked Loki off his feet and brutally tossed him back like a doll. A terrifying cracking noise resounded when his body crashed against the brick wall behind him.</p><p>Stephen was breathing heavily as he took a look at what he had done. The spot where Loki had been standing was burned. A swath of destruction had been left behind by Stephen’s attack. Which had been completely uncontrolled and unmeasured. Almost as if Stephen had been trying to kill him. Perhaps that was exactly what had happened.</p><p>Without uttering as much as a moan Loki got back up to his feet.</p><p>At least Stephen could pride himself with having made Loki’s smirk disappear. Loki wiped a trickle of blood off his face and then looked at his soiled glove with a dark fascination. “Nobody has made me bleed in a very long.” He eventually muttered softly.</p><p>Digging his heels deeper into the ground Stephen conjured his shields, knowing what was about to come. Loki didn’t immediately launch at him. Instead he took a step closer and the ground audibly cracked beneath his foot. The air around him was sizzling and buzzing with energy and Stephen could feel that this was not the Tesseract’s doing. This was something else entirely.</p><p>Loki was still coming closer, leaving behind small fissures with every step. “Tell me who you are, mortal and I will go easy on you.” He repeated the question he had already asked once.</p><p>Stephen shook his head, refusing to answer. “Who are you? Because you definitely aren’t that little, pathetic creature who tried to conquer this planet and couldn’t even stand up to a couple of human beings without magical powers.”</p><p>The other’s face darkened. “If you aren’t going to tell me voluntarily…”</p><p>A jolt of surprise went through Stephen when Loki just disappeared. No portal no nothing. Not two seconds later he popped back into existence, right in front of Stephen. “… I will have to take a look.”</p><p>Loki’s fingers closed in an iron grip around Stephen’s wrist. Before Stephen could even try to fight him off everything came back crashing down on him. The knowledge that he hadn’t been able to help the Guardians and they could be anywhere, deeply in need of him. The despair of being stuck in a place where he didn’t belong while his own world was open to all kind of attacks without the Sorcerer Supreme to protect it. The guilt of having turned this time into something so much worse than what it was supposed to be. And then everything he had felt the moment he had laid eyes on Tony Stark.</p><p>A silent scream passed Stephen’s lips and he clung to the small part of him that knew that Loki was doing this to him. That he was feeling all of his desperation and guilt at once and so much more powerful than usual because of Loki.</p><p>Strings of magic wrapped themselves around Loki’s arm and Stephen brutally yanked at him. Successfully so. Loki let go and stumbled a step back. Almost gracefully so.</p><p>“What did you just do?” Stephen hissed at him and Loki merely cocked his head. Looking at him in an almost intrigued way. “I don’t think anybody has ever put up that much resistance. Sorcerer Supreme. You don’t belong here. Stephen Strange, wasn’t it?”</p><p>Loki made the smallest gesture and a comfy looking armchair appeared right next to him. Stephen watched in confusion as the other one sat down. Another little wave and an identical chair showed up right next to Stephen.</p><p>“Why don’t we start over again and you tell me where you come from? Go on, make yourself comfortable. I don’t bite.”</p><p>His smile sure did.</p><p> </p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Pretending</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So, this conversation is not going to last very long :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Loki was grinning from ear to ear and Stephen wasn’t moving. In his mind he went rapidly through every single piece of information he had on Loki. On how the other one was wired, every little sentimental story that Thor had ever told over a beer. He had never told very much, because he had felt from the very beginning that Stephen wasn’t that interested in anything that had to do with Loki. A criminal that had only ever caused his planet harm.</p><p>What was going on here? What was the plan? Was this a trap? Would a knife pierce his throat the second Stephen sat down? It should be out of the question that Loki was interested in an actual conversation.</p><p>There were other things to consider than just motive. Loki had done something to him and it gave Stephen chills that he couldn’t even quite say what. He had glanced into Stephen’s mind and Stephen had no idea if that should be in his range of abilities. Actual mind reading wasn’t involved, Stephen could tell as much. However, he could not deny that Loki had done something. What had he found out? Stephen’s name. Not a very tough job, it lay on the very surface level of his sub consciousness. It was a lot more worrying that Loki was already aware of the fact that this wasn’t the right place for Stephen to be. Then again, that was the only thing present on Stephen’s mind. If anybody were to look into Stephen’s head, they would be immediately confronted with this piece of information. What had this little jerk done? What was in the range of possibilities?</p><p>Reading memories. It was complex, but Stephen knew that it was a technique that gifted sorcerers could learn if they were willing to spend years on it. Or it was something a little simpler but not less impressive. Emotions. Loki could be reading his emotions and drew his own conclusions. Obviously that was easier than actually reading someone’s mind, but people shouldn’t be fooled into believing that it was less dangerous. Whatever Loki was doing, Stephen had to keep up his guard. A conversation was fishing for information, Stephen had attracted the other’s interest. Better to tread lightly.</p><p>Loki just kept smiling while Stephen was eyeing the offered chair with distrust. It was oozing with magic. Obviously, Loki had conjured it. Anyway, Stephen wasn’t going to let Loki believe that he was afraid of anything the other had to offer. Therefore Stephen sat down, watching the other one closely. Loki looked like a cat that was playing with the mouse it had already caught and he definitely felt like one.</p><p>“These are very interesting surroundings. May I ask where we are?”</p><p>Very first question of this conversation and Stephen was already fighting for his composure, because this had just become a lot more personal. Given Loki’s presence Stephen hadn’t had time to think a lot about it until now. This was his garden. This was the little lot he was going to buy in a couple of years. Now he was always going to look back at it, thinking that Loki had been here when it was supposed to be a place of peace and relaxation. So much about that. “I don’t see how that’s any of your business.”</p><p>“Don’t get me wrong. We can go back to fighting at any time. The downside to that would be though that I will not hear your undoubtedly interesting backstory and you will be… Well, you will be dead. Lose-lose for every party involved. I’d rather talk for a little while.”</p><p>“Before we go back to fighting anyway.”</p><p>Loki raised his hands in a seemingly disarming gesture and for once his smile looked actually charming. Stephen hated him. “Well, you were the one to attack me first. Did you expect me to not defend myself?”</p><p>“You are a threat to this planet that needs to be dealt with.”</p><p>“Who told you that I like flattery?” Once more that smile which would make any shark jealous. “Where do you come from? I think you’d prefer it if I didn’t have to look again.”</p><p>That was an empty threat, Stephen was sure of that. “Don’t call it looking. You did not look. You took an educated guess and despite that you have no idea what’s going on.”</p><p>Finally. The smile disappeared and Loki slightly narrowed his eyes. It might not be the smartest idea to make him angry, but it was definitely easy. Stephen wasn’t going to sit here and converse with this maniac who was probably roaming the universe, doing Thanos’ work.</p><p>“It’s not a good idea to try to make me angry. You are still alive because I am allowing it. Because you slightly interest me. I am known to change my mind very quickly.”</p><p>Stephen knew that he was the very last person who had the right to criticize anybody for overwhelming arrogance. His own hubris had cost him his hands and almost his life. However, he could not stand a single word that left the Asgardian’s mouth. Come to think of it, Stephen wasn’t sure he had ever met a person this full of themselves. Arrogance should be warranted. Loki adorned himself with borrowed plumes and acted like the entire world was his playground. Completely ridiculous.</p><p>So Stephen let his big mouth get the better of him. Definitely not a smart decision, but he could not help himself. “You never change, do you? Still the same little, angry man who likes to talk a big game, but who got defeated by a couple of mortals when he had two Infinity Stones at his disposal.”</p><p>Against Stephen’s expectations Loki didn’t bare his teeth. He slowly cocked his head, watching Stephen closely. “Is that how we met each other? New York?”</p><p>Stephen remained silent, he wasn’t going to give Loki the information he was seeking. The fact that he was from another timeline could reach Thanos’ ears and that was something Stephen could never risk happening. “What is it that you really want to know?”</p><p>This was no conversation, they were merely talking at each other. “I can see this scenario. Did you come from another dimension? One where you are the Sorcerer Supreme? I must have upset you in some kind of way. I can definitely see that.”</p><p>Fine, Stephen could work with that. It was close enough to the truth to be believable and at the same time so far removed from reality that this idea posed no actual threat. “Oh, you couldn’t possibly upset me. Not even if you tried. It was very much the other way around.”</p><p>This little piece was enough to throw Loki off a little bit. Stephen could tell by the way the other one was leaning forwards in his chair. “Is that so? Care to elaborate?”</p><p>“I trapped you in a portal loop. You continued to fall for about half an hour before I could be bothered to let you out.”</p><p>Loki snorted at that. A dismissive and offended sound. His facial expression matched it perfectly. “I highly doubt that.”</p><p>“That doesn’t matter. I know who you are and what you can do. You are a trickster. An illusionist. This is just another illusion. One you created to make yourself look powerful when you actually aren’t. It’s so easy to look through.” Stephen’s delivery was completely dry, he was merely stating facts. Evidently, Loki was not a fan. Anything but. Stephen was ready for the attack, the magic to conjure a shield was pooling at his fingertips. Loki had raised his eyebrows a little bit and the twinkle in his eyes was dark. Just when Stephen thought the other one was going to strike, Loki started to laugh. In honest amusement Stephen should be damned, the other one actually sounded happy. That could not be good.</p><p>“Oh dear…” Loki slightly shook his head, smiling wickedly. “It seems you do not know me after all.” To emphasize his point Loki raised his right hand and Stephen could see the pitchblack sparks of magic dancing between his fingers. Desperate show-off. “I will gladly help you to get to know me better.”</p><p>Now that was a threat. Before Stephen had the chance to even think about getting up from his chair, Loki was standing right in front of him. Without having moved. He held out his right hand, Stephen saw the sparks of magic and then…</p><p>Loki froze in mid-motion, not looking at Stephen. He slightly raised his head to look up into the dark night sky. There was only one reason why Stephen didn’t immediately jump at the opportunity to launch his own attack – he could not make out what was distracting Loki. There was nothing to see, nothing to hear and yet the other’s green eyes were moving, following some invisible force or object. Eventually, about three seconds later, Loki took a step back, the faintest of smiles on his lips. “What a lucky man you are, Sorcerer Supreme.”</p><p>The same black magic that had been floating around his fingertips slowly immersed Loki and he disappeared within it. Feeling a little bit dumbfounded Stephen was being left behind, looking around to make sure that Loki wasn’t present anymore. “Yeah, you better run away.”</p><p>Except that he had taken his time and Stephen swallowed softly when he thought about the way he had left. If this black magic had created a portal, then it had been perfectly adjusted to Loki’s body. No space wasted, no possibility for anybody else to follow him. He was just gone. The number of places Loki could easily go to thanks to the Tesseract made Stephen nauseous. Thanos could send him anywhere. Other worlds than the Earth could suffer similar invasions with a less fortunate resolution.</p><p>Stephen had helped to save one timeline and had ultimately cursed and sacrificed another one. Was this fair? Was this just? Closing his eyes Stephen supressed a cold shudder running down his spine when he finally allowed that one question to enter his mind which had been haunting him for several weeks now. How could he leave without at least trying to fix what he had broken? To save the same people from suffering an even harsher fate. One that was going to catch up with them so much sooner than it should.</p><p>His dark contemplations had to come to a sudden end. The distraction came from above. A distant, blinking light that moved with incredible speed. Dread overcame Stephen when he realised that there was no more time left, this timeline didn’t have five more years. It was already happening. The little space vessel came closer so fast that it seemed inevitable that it would crash.</p><p>Of course it didn’t. At the very last second it slowed down and expertly landed right in front of Stephen who had by now conjured his shields. He knew what to expect and the fact that this was happening again almost had him panicking. Stephen couldn’t though, he had a responsibility. To do a better job this time.</p><p>So this is 14 000 606. Make it count.</p><p>The vessel was much smaller than Stephen had expected. It couldn’t possibly offer enough space to contain more than two people. Sadly that was no comfort at all. One single person could do more damage than one million. Standing straight with his arms raised Stephen dug his boots into the ground, ready for another confrontation. Or at least he was trying to be.</p><p>Stephen didn’t have to wait very long. Somebody left the vessel and Stephen felt the searing pain of gigantic needles being driven through his entire body. There wasn’t enough time in the universe that could pass to erase the agony of this memory. His torturer was right in front of him, the same pale and gaunt figure that Stephen remembered and it was still no comfort to know that he had already died twice.</p><p>Thanos’ henchman’s ugly face was even more distorted by the obvious rage he was feeling. That did give Stephen a little tingling of satisfaction, but it was short-lived.</p><p>“This planet is under my protection. It’s off-limits for you. Leave right now or I will be forced to use violence.” Stephen was itching to, honestly, but that wasn’t how things were supposed to be done.</p><p>The intruder ignored everything that Stephen had just said, he stared him down with complete and utter disdain. A part of Stephen wondered if he only did this for intimidation’s sake or if he actually felt this way. Not that it made any difference. “Where is the thief?”</p><p>Stephen’s eyebrows went up in slight confusion. The only person he could possibly be referring to was Loki. A thief. That sounded just right. Had Loki fallen out of favour with the Titan? A very good question that Stephen didn’t have the time to think about. At least he had been offered a way to get this monster to leave the planet and if he could throw Loki under the bus at the same time, Stephen would gladly seize the opportunity. “Loki is gone. He is just as unwelcomed here as are you. He left seconds ago.”</p><p>Unfortunately this revelation motivated the henchman in absolutely no form or way to get off this planet. The snarl on his face was creepy and terrifying. So much so that Stephen tried to ignore it. His heart was racing inside his chest as he was desperately hoping to be able to avoid this fight. That the other one would simply leave, hunt Loki across the galaxy and finally offer this planet some well-deserved peace. It was not going to happen.</p><p>Things escalated a mere second later. Stephen had been here before, he was not going to be surprised. Thanos’ henchman raised his hand and Stephen wasn’t having any of that. He hated telekinesis. Stephen repeated what he had done to Loki when he had seen him the very first time in this timeline. Ropes made of golden light and magic slid around the henchman’s wrists, harshly yanking them down to stop him from moving his hands to access his abilities. Stephen firmly held onto the ropes, being forced to use a combination of physical and mental strength, he could feel that this was only going to work for a very limited amount of time. “What you are looking for cannot be found on this planet. Leave, search for it somewhere else.”</p><p>In response the creature was growling and hissing. Eyes narrowed to small slits that left no doubt about what he planned to do with Stephen. A quick death was probably the nicest treatment he could expect. “How dare you, mortal?! To use your fatuous tricks against me.”</p><p>Under different circumstances Stephen would have flashed a grin, but he did not have the energy to do it. To be honest, he felt like he was barely holding on. Like he had never recovered from whatever had happened to him when he had laid eyes on Tony Stark. This could go wrong so easily, but it wasn’t like Stephen had a choice. Unlike everybody else he had already seen and felt what was going to happen with this creature present on Earth.</p><p>Only now the other one was starting to put up resistance and Stephen instantly felt the strain. Pushing himself further Stephen tried to hold on, to keep him in place. What Stephen needed was a portal, make sure to get him as far away as possible. It wasn’t possible to create a portal though when he needed all of his strength to stop this creature from breaking free. Sweat was dripping down Stephen’s brow as held on and tried to come up with a plan how to incapacitate him. Otherwise Stephen couldn’t…</p><p>Out of a sudden the other man managed to break Stephen’s hold on him and it caused Stephen to stumble back, he almost fell to the ground, but managed to keep his balance. Nonetheless the second it took him to do that was one second too long. A brute invisible force flung him back and Stephen just barely made it to use his own magic to stop the other one from tossing him against the brick wall. Stephen swore through gritted teeth, he had so hoped to never have to do this dance again. A small detail that worked in his favour was that Stephen wasn’t unfamiliar with the other’s fighting style. The heavy reliance on telekinesis. The trick was to be faster. Huge parts of the brick wall came flying at Stephen and he just in time created a portal right in front of him to jump into. Another gateway allowed him to get behind his attacker and Stephen didn’t lose any more time. Newly created golden strings of magic wrapped themselves around the henchman’s feet and Stephen pulled. The following shriek that the other one uttered when he fell to the ground gave Stephen a small tingle of satisfaction. Stephen continued to pull, dragging Thanos’ henchman across the dirty ground towards him. “The man you are looking for is not here. Neither is whatever he has stolen from you. If you leave now, there is a chance you might still catch him. I have no objections to that.”</p><p>The henchman made a gesture with his hand and Stephen realised that only when it was too late. An almost overwhelming, fiery pain shot through Stephen’s foot. So intense it had him voice a short scream. His magic dwindeld as Stephen looked down to see the damage. A black, sharp and mostly unfamiliar object had pierced his foot, pinning him to the ground.</p><p>“Damn…” Stephen tried to bend down to reach for the object to pull it out, but before he had the chance the very same sensation suddenly spread in his shoulder and for the shortest of moments Stephen thought that the pain was going to knock him out. Another one of these drills or nails had been rammed into his flesh.</p><p>“Let me give you a piece of advice.” The henchman was back on his feet, right in front of Stephen, his clothes soiled with dirt and rage had turned his face into a creepy grimace. “Do not go for incapacitation when you have a chance to kill your enemy.”</p><p>He slightly raised his hand and Stephen felt the object digging deeper into his flesh, making it hard for him to suppress a scream. No way he was going to give this monster the satisfaction. “You are not going kill me. You want something from me.”</p><p>“You are right, but I can still hurt you until you tell me what I need to you. There will still be plenty of time to kill you, human.”</p><p>Stephen was tempted to tell him that they had been here before, but the pain was too intense to try to be smart.</p><p>“Where is the thief?”</p><p>“I don’t know and I don’t care.” Stephen spat. “He left.”</p><p>Discontent with his answer the henchman drove the object in deeper. “You were here with him. You know him and you will tell me everything you know about where he went and where he is going. Then maybe I will grant you a quick death.”</p><p>Truth to be told, Stephen would have happily sold Loki out, but there was absolutely nothing that he could possibly tell. The object connected with a bone, scraping over it and Stephen’s mind went back to his accident. White spots were dancing in front of his eyes as the pain threatened to take over.</p><p>“Promises, promises.” A smooth voice had both of them startled. “It’s always all bark but no bite with all of you.”</p><p>Stephen wanted Loki to go straight to hell. That piece of shit was casually standing at the other end of the garden, with his arms crossed and without a single care in the world. At least the object in his shoulder stopped moving and Stephen gasped at the feeling of relief. The henchman turned his head and Loki had the gall to do a little wave. Under other circumstances Stephen would have considered it funny. It now became blatantly clear that the henchman didn’t care about Stephen in any shape or form. He actually sizzled like a snake when he saw Loki. “The thief has finally realised that running away will not save him.”</p><p>Loki reacted by blowing a raspberry. “Let the mortal go. Pick on someone your own size.”</p><p>Somebody didn’t need to be asked twice. Stephen almost fell over when the drills were suddenly yanked out of his body. He didn’t quite trust his vision when he saw the two drills and at least ten more flying towards Loki who didn’t move a muscle. The objects went right through him and the illusion of Loki dissolved in green light. Typical.</p><p>Another Loki, the real one, appeared out of nowhere right next to them and Stephen got a frontrow seat to watch Loki raise his left hand and conjure a surge of black magic that directly hit the henchman’s chest. The impact force was immense but perfectly placed. The henchman was flung away like a child’s toy. Although Stephen was definitely losing blood, he felt better seeing that.</p><p>This attack had been fierce and sumptuous, yet Loki didn’t even seem to be out of breath.</p><p>“Insolent, pathetic little creature. You will suffer endlessly for…” Thanos’ henchman shouted and Loki uttered an exasperated sigh. “This stopped being fun months ago.”</p><p>As Stephen was clutching his shoulder to stop the blood loss he was watching the scene unfolding in front of him. The henchman got back up on his feet and made an abrupt gesture with his arm. He could not see where the spikes had come from, but they were the very same that he had attacked Stephen with. Just so many more of them. They seemed to form a big black swarm in the air, charging at Loki at full speed. There could be no other motivation for this attack than killing him.</p><p>Loki did not bat an eyelid. Stephen could not see him move at all. Merely seconds before the spikes had reached him a shield made of pitchblack magic appeared right in front of him and none of the spikes ever reached him. When the shield dissolved again Stephen saw the last remaining particles of the spikes dancing in the air. They had been returned to dust.</p><p>“You shall be damned for daring to use the power that you stole!” The henchman roared and Loki didn’t react. Stephen would never admit it, but he watched with mild fascination as Loki himself faded away in a ray of blackness. There was no need to wait for him, he reappeared right in front of Thanos’ lackey. Despite the pain and dizziness that was dragging him down Stephen tilted his head, because he needed to see what was going on. There wasn’t much to see. Growling, hissing and then silence. It came as such a surprise that Stephen held his breath.</p><p>Loki turned back around to face him and Stephen felt his shiver running down his spine. The Asgardian’s eyes were completely black. Stephen could have missed it since they were already turning back to their natural green. What happened next was utterly bizarre. So much that Stephen had trouble hiding his bewilderment. The henchman left. Without another word. He walked back to his ship, climbed into it and it took off. Gone.</p><p>Stephen had forgotten all about his wounds and humiliation. Now there was only one thing that mattered – finding out what had just happened. Before the Asgardian bailed.</p><p>Clearly not bothered by the latest events Loki was casually adjusting his gloves. Fine, Stephen could try to be civil. “What did you do?”</p><p>Looking up Loki met Stephen’s gaze, seemingly surprised by the other one’s present. As if he had forgotten about him. “Convinced him that this feeble little planet is not the right place to look for me.”</p><p>“By convinced you mean you manipulated his mind.” Stephen stated drily and Loki answered with a smirk, then shrugged. “Or maybe I just pretended to. Who knows? You should find somebody to tend to your wounds. Goodbye, Sorcerer Supreme.”</p><p>“Wait!”</p><p>Stephen was shouting at thin air, Loki was already gone. Cursing softly Stephen felt the pain returning now that there was no more distraction. While biting his lip he opened a portal to return to the Kamar-Taj. People there were a little shocked to see the state he was in and Stephen was pissed that more than one person got to see him like this. It wasn’t like he was mortally wounded, so everybody should stop making such a fuss. As soon as Stephen had been patched up Kaecilius joined him to ask if he had had a run in with the Asgardian. Stephen wasn’t really listening. His brain had been flooded with new information that he didn’t know where to store yet.</p><p>Loki did have the Tesseract.</p><p>Loki had no intention of handing it over to Thanos.</p><p>Thanos was sending his goons after Loki, because he had had stolen the Tesseract.</p><p>Loki was displaying highly advanced magical abilities that he should not possess. Like…</p><p>“I have a question.” Stephen blurted out and Kaecilius raised an eyebrow. “I will try to answer it.”</p><p>“Whatever happened to the sceptre that Loki brought along during the invasion?”</p><p> </p>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Help me out?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello everybody,</p><p>Stephen seeks out some help to get the information he needs and then some more ;)</p><p>Have fun</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The sounds that Stephen’s boots created on the hard, cold floor bounced off the paltry walls and came right back to him. A strong scent of mustiness and mould attacked his nostrils which clearly indicated that nobody had been here in a very long time. It looked very much like whoever had lived here had packed up their things decades ago and now nature was in the process of claiming this place. Now its aura was sinister and almost creepy. Movie executives would be tempted to use this building as a set for their next nightmarish feature.</p><p>Slowly Stephen walked up to the window closest to him. There was nothing to see. Not until he wiped clean a little spot with the sleeve of his coat. The city lay quietly beneath him. Almost as if it was sleeping. Obviously it had no idea what was going to happen to it only one year down the road. Stephen turned back around, his eyes slowly ghosting across the abandoned room. Or maybe nothing at all was going to happen to Sokovia. No Ultron, no destruction, no death, no Sokovia Accords. Or rather much later. Stephen wanted to sit down, he thought he was going to be dizzy.</p><p>“And what exactly are we looking for here? Except for dust, bad housekeeping and potential holes in the floor that one of us is going to fall through and break his neck?”</p><p>For the most part Stephen had grown used to Kaecilius’ presence, but in moments like these the other one still made him jump. Stephen did his best to play it down. “A secret Hydra base that is playing God with one of the most powerful artefacts in the entire universe.”</p><p>Unimpressed Kaecilius took another look around. “Well, they’re doing a splendid job at keeping their base secret. I would even suggest that it isn’t here.”</p><p>Feeling beaten Stephen nodded. “Yes, it seems like it.”</p><p>“May I guess what this means? Your intervention caused another major change in this timeline and it is probably going to screw things up even more.”</p><p>Stephen shook his head, mostly out of principle. “Not necessarily. They could have moved the sceptre to somewhere else. Granted, I have no idea where.”</p><p>“Again, I am no expert on this, but I don’t think this possibility is very likely. Especially since you already have a very good idea who has got it.”</p><p>Normally Stephen appreciated a person for their brutal honesty, they were hard to come by. Right now, it was irritating him immensely. “I am dreading the implications. It would change absolutely everything.”</p><p>The following silence only weighed heavily on them for about three seconds. “Maybe that’s for the better.”</p><p>Stephen’s head flung up. “Excuse me?”</p><p>“Given everything you’ve said and your entire attitude… the future does not look all that bright. Changing it might be the better option.” What Kaecilius said made sense on some level, but he hadn’t had any experience in messing with time. Also, he had little understanding of how bad things could get.</p><p>Loki Laufeyson, invader of Earth, running around with two Infinity Stones in his possession was about as bad as things could get. Stephen was relying on the suspicion that Loki would have already brought disaster and misery over this planet if he was the keeper of the sceptre.</p><p>That was only one little piece of the puzzle. The other implications had Stephen’s stomach turning. “Something is supposed to happen here. Something bad but very important. Something that is going to mark the Avengers for years to come. New fighters are going to be born from this event and I am having a very hard time imagine how things can develop if this doesn’t happen.”</p><p>Unlike him Kaecilius didn’t seem too concerned. “So you are like the rest of us. Dreading the future because you do not know what is about to come. What is worse? An Infinity Stone in the hands of people who use it for experiments on other people or in the hands of a magical entity that visits Earth only every couple of weeks without doing much harm.”</p><p>“I don’t have the slightest idea. But obviously it cannot be a good idea to hand somebody unlimited power when they have already tried to conquer the planet… Him having the ability to control minds is the last thing anybody needs.”</p><p>Kaecilius hummed in slight disagreement. “So what are you planning to do about it?”</p><p>Technically Stephen shouldn’t get involved in anything. Then again, this was his fault and it was his duty to at least try to clean up the mess he had made. “First I need to be sure if Hydra doesn’t have the sceptre after all.”</p><p>“That shouldn’t be that hard to do for the Sorcerer Supreme. Shouldn’t it?” Kaecilius had the nerve to tease him. Sure, nobody but Stephen was able to understand the implications of this. For everybody else the future remained the same mystery it had always been. Unacceptable.</p><p>“I just know who to ask and I don’t want to ask them. I am going to find someone else. It’s going to be a little more complicated. I was really hoping I was going to be able to avoid that.” Stephen sighed deeply and took another glance at Sokovia over his shoulder. He couldn’t forget about the good things. If the sceptre was indeed never going to be here, lots of people were going to continue to live their lives in peace. They were going to live. However, there was a chance that fate had merely been shifted to other people someplace else. Things might still repeat themselves in a slightly different way.</p><p>Turning back to Kaecilius Stephen decided to take a leap of faith. After this string of bad luck something had to work out in his favour. “How good are you at locating people?”</p><p>“Depends on what you are talking about. Are you asking me to track somebody down by using their credit card number?”</p><p>Stephen reached up to massage one of his temples. “Please, don’t try to be funny now. I might lose my mind over it.”</p><p>Kaecilius kept on wearing his usual pokerface. “It still depends on who you are looking for, but I am sure I can be of service. If you are not feeling up to it because of your injury.”</p><p>“Don’t try to be smart either.” Stephen mumbled as he opened a portal for them to get back to the Kamar-Taj. “I hate it.”</p><p>Kaecilius followed him only one step behind. “That doesn’t mean very much to me. You hate everything.”</p><p>It was always a bad sign when people started to get to know him. That was usually the moment they stopped being nice.</p><p>***</p><p>Despite being able to go anywhere at any time he pleased, Stephen had never been to Norway before. A pity that he wasn’t going to see any of it today. Actually he felt a little bit foolish for having used magic to locate Thor. Granted, if Loki had sent Thor to another dimension and if Thor had still been stuck there, Stephen would have had a hard time to find him, even with Kaecilius’ help. Luckily that hadn’t been the case. Thor was in Norway where Jane Foster was currently working.</p><p>More differences, they simply wouldn’t stop.</p><p>Stephen hadn’t bothered to check the exact time difference, so he was relieved to see that there was still daylight when he found himself in the backyard of a small, very modern looking house. Wonderful, Stephen would have to knock at the door that led to the terrace. Well, they should be happy that Stephen hadn’t created a portal in their living room. He had barely made one step when somebody was already calling out to him.</p><p>“What are you doing in my garden?”</p><p>Looking up Stephen saw a woman in her thirties standing on the balcony, looking less than thrilled to see him. Jane Foster had to think that he was a weirdo, trying to make his way into the house.</p><p>“Hello, my name is Stephen Strange. I need to talk to Thor.”</p><p>Something about his request had her eyebrows going up, but thankfully Stephen appeared to be convincing enough to get her to take a look over her shoulder, back into the house. Probably glancing at Thor. Yet nothing was happening and Stephen was too impatient to waste time over this. “Mam, it’s a rather important matter. It’s about his brother, Loki.”</p><p>That obviously was the magic word. The name had barely rolled off Stephen’s tongue when Thor was already joining Jane on the balcony. He did not stop there, but simply jumped over the railing and landed right in front of Stephen. As the god of thunder straightened up, Stephen took in the evident differences in his appearance. This was Thor close to his prime, not quite there yet. The hair still long and kempt, strong muscles and a flat chest. Not just his physical appearance made clear that this was another Thor than the one Stephen had left behind in 2024. One glance left no doubt that Stephen was going to hear funny tales from this Thor, that he wasn’t going to try to talk Stephen into playing some console game against him. No, 2013 Thor was staring him down and definitely wanted to look intimidating. With anybody else this technique would have probably worked. There were oh so many things that Stephen was scared of, that had him shaking. Thor was not one of them.</p><p>“Who are you and what is your business with my brother?” Thor’s voice resembled a deep growl and Stephen reminded himself that he wasn’t allowed to sigh. After all he was here, because he needed something. He needed help and it wouldn’t turn out to be in his favour if he should upset Thor.</p><p>Stephen slightly raised his hands in an appeasing gesture. “I do not have business with your brother. I’ve already stated my name, but I will gladly repeat it. Stephen Strange. Sorcerer Supreme. We’ve already met.”</p><p>Thor’s eyes scanned him from head to toe and Stephen could already feel his sullenness rising under such a clearly derogatory gaze. “I believe I would remember you and your… peculiar style of clothing, but I don’t.”</p><p>Why did Thor always evoke a feeling of frustration? No matter what timeline. “Yes, a breastplate and a cape are so much more subtle. I am not here to discuss the latest fashion trends. A few days ago you were engaged in a fight with your brother in Central Park. He pushed you through a portal. Somebody unsuccessfully tried to help you out. That was me.”</p><p>With a tiny tingle of satisfaction Stephen noticed that the expression on Thor’s face changed. Finally the Asgardian became a lot more interested. “Are you a wizard?”</p><p>Good Lord. “Sorcerer Supreme. I had another run-in with your brother and I would like to be prepared if there should be a next time. I need you to give me some information.”</p><p>Thor narrowed his eyes and Stephen wasn’t sure if the hostility he was displaying was directed at him. Or at Loki who wasn’t even here. That would be odd. Never had Stephen heard Thor uttering a single bad word about Loki. The beloved brother that Thanos had killed with his bare hands.</p><p>“What kind of run-in?”</p><p>This conversation was taking way too long for Stephen’s taste. “Unlike you he noticed me trying to help you and he wasn’t very pleased with that. We engaged in a short fight. Let’s say it ended in a draw.”</p><p>To say the least, Thor’s reaction antagonized him. “I highly doubt that.”</p><p>“I am going to ignore that statement.” Stephen decided to be graceful. “Your brother has stolen the Tesseract and is therefore an immense threat to this planet. He should not be allowed to roam free, but I will admit that it is rather difficult to get a hold of him. Much more difficult than it should be. I demand to know why. What did your brother do to accumulate that amount of power?”</p><p>“I don’t know you, wizard. I am not certain why I should share any kind of information with you.”</p><p>Instead giving a long and way too complicated explanation Stephen simply conjured his magic to show Thor the golden strings that he should be familiar with. “Do you remember them? I tried to pull you back. Admittedly I didn’t do that much of a good job. However, I am on your side. I am a protector of this planet like you. Your brother keeps coming in the way, so I have to know what I am dealing with.”</p><p>Stephen had a feeling that this was the right way to go although Thor was still showing his distrust. “What are your plans with Loki?”</p><p>Well, time to lie right through his teeth. “I think we all agree that the best place for him to be would be an Asgardian dungeon.”</p><p>Finally Thor seemed to decide that Stephen could be trusted. A little bit at least. “My brother has always been gifted in the arts of magic, but during the last months he used trickery and deceit to surpass whatever ability he had had before.”</p><p>Great, so that was all the information Stephen had already had before. It looked very much like he had to start at the very beginning. “I see. How did it come to this anyway? After the invasion you planned to take him back to Asgard. Why didn’t that happen? How did that go so wrong, because up to that moment the Avengers did a marvellous job.” Stephen took a gamble and decided to find out if flattery would help him to get a better answer out of Thor.</p><p>The Asgardian had just opened his mouth when Jane Foster cleared her throat loudly and clearly in an awkward attempt to get their attention. “If you plan to continue this conversation, a nicer place to do it would be inside the house. I’m making coffee.”</p><p>Fine, Stephen wouldn’t say no to that. Coffee was the ultimate sign that his presence here was accepted. It was a little strange though to sit with them at a table, his hand wrapped around a bright orange cup. No, Stephen wasn’t eager to spend here much time longer than necessary. Also, the coffee was too sweet. “So what happened?”</p><p>“How come you don’t know if you are a protector of this planet? Why weren’t you there to help us?” Thor had switched back into distrust mode. These questions were absolutely justified and Thor would be a fool if he didn’t ask them and yet Stephen couldn’t help but feel annoyed. This visit was supposed to be short, but that had been probably too much to ask for. “There is an explanation. I just fear that it might sound rather odd.”</p><p>“There is no such thing as odd in this house.” Jane Foster mumbled barely audibly as she sat down with them.</p><p>“I am waiting, wizard.” Thor said darkly, his arms crossed in front of his chest. Stephen had seen so many smiles on his face. Mostly goofy ones, sometimes empty ones. Now it was even hard to imagine the corners of Thor’s mouth going up. This man certainly wasn’t happy.</p><p>Stephen could have easily lied, but he couldn’t fight the feeling that it wouldn’t get him far with this version of Thor. A version that Stephen didn’t particularly like. He was so much younger and nonetheless made the impression of being more jaded. It rubbed Stephen the wrong way, because the older Thor had seen so much more horrific things and misery much harder and more unforgiving had haunted him. Witnessing the death of both parents, seeing his home destroyed and turned into dust before the slaughter of half of his people. Or the murder of his brother, the very last member of his family. The Thor right in front of him had no right to be jaded.</p><p>Then again, this wasn’t Stephen’s past, he had no right to judge. But when had that ever stopped him.</p><p>“It is quite a long story and time is of the essence, so you will forgive me if I skip over all the unnecessary details. I don’t belong here. I am from another dimension. A fight with a magical entity went wrong and I ended up here. I am trying to get back home and your brother is kind of… holding me back from doing so. To be honest I didn’t expect any of that, because where I come from he is sitting in a cell and the Tesseract is safely in Asgard. I am sure you will understand my confusion.” Stephen thought that these were enough half-truths to sound believable.</p><p>Thor’s response was a frown. “You come from an alternate reality.”</p><p>“More or less.”</p><p>Of course Stephen only realised his mistake when it was already far too late. Genius that he was he had just loudly proclaimed that he came from alternate dimension slash reality next to an astrophysicist. Was there a Nobel Price for stupidity. Sorry to all the other candidates, Stephen is running away with it.</p><p>In no way was Stephen exaggerating when he claimed that Jane Foster was looking at him like he was the second coming of Jesus. The answer to all of her prayers and dreams. “Could you repeat that please? Because I think you just said that you came from another dimension.”</p><p>“Something like that.”</p><p>All the gates were suddenly open and Jane Foster bombarded him with questions. She was putting an excitement on display that Stephen hadn’t seen in anybody in a very long time. Probably since Thanos. There were a lot of smart words, terms that belonged to the realm of physics that Stephen was only vaguely familiar with. The last bit Jane said he got loud and clear. The offer to help him.</p><p>“I appreciate it, I really do, but there is not a lot you can do. It’s a problem solely related to magic.”</p><p>“Perhaps, but Thor explained to me how magic is merely a more advanced from of science and technology that we possess at the moment. I am sure I can be of service.”</p><p>No, Stephen was not here to explain the nature of magic to her, none of his business. Unfortunately he was the Sorcerer Supreme and he couldn’t listen to such statements without feeling his insides twisting. “Uhm, that is not correct. Magic and science are two completely different things. Believe me, I have worked in both areas. You can use highly advanced science to achieve the same results as magic, but the process is entirely different.”</p><p>Clearly she wanted to protest, her face was downright shocked. Before she said anything though, she looked at Thor in confusion. Right now Thor finally showed another emotion than sullenness. “I guess there are different interpretations.”</p><p>Stephen was very tempted to ask Thor if he had ever used a magic spell in his entire life and if he hadn’t, he shouldn’t be explaining the concept of magic to anyone. It was essential though that Stephen didn’t piss him off completely. “Maybe there will still be time to discuss this, but right now I would really like to know what happened right after the invasion. How did he get away?”</p><p>This time Stephen got his explanation and Thor’s face was as dark as the night during it. “We already had him in cuffs. We led him down to the main floor of Stark’s tower. There was a short verbal confrontation with the men Coulson worked for. SHIELD. They wanted to take Loki into their own custody. Me and Stark refused. In retrospect it probably would have been the better option.”</p><p>Stephen’s eyebrows shot up before he could do something about it.</p><p>“Stark collapsed right there. The metal device in his chest had failed and his heart had stopped beating. I used Mjolnir to kick start it again. As you can imagine there was a lot of confusion. Stark had been carrying the Tesseract in a suitcase. He must have dropped it. I don’t know how exactly Loki managed to grab it, but he did. He disappeared in a portal right then and there. I did nothing. I failed and he has been on the run since. Using the Tesseract to jump from world to world, planet to planet… while I am being stuck here until Asgard will have repaired the Bifröst.”</p><p>One of his hands was balled into a fist and Stephen could easily hear the anger and frustration in his voice. Jane wasn’t blind to it either, she put her hand on Thor’s arm in a fruitless attempt to comfort him.</p><p>“Has he tried to take revenge on you? All of you. For beating him?”</p><p>Thor gritted his teeth. “I don’t think that he spends too much time on Midgard. When he does, he is using it as his playground. A few months ago he appeared on some island…”</p><p>“Hawaii.” Jane Foster quietly pointed out.</p><p>“He put the entire population under his thrall and had them worship him as a god. The whole thing lasted two weeks. When SHIELD and the Avengers got there the people showed aggression towards us. It took them days to snap out of it. Loki had disappeared already, he was having a blast. He is using these people like toys.”</p><p>Right there. Stephen was so close to get the information that he wanted, that he was here for. “I am aware that your brother is a master illusionist, but I have trouble to believe that he could trap so many people in an illusion for such a long time.”</p><p>Thor’s eyes met his and there was deep anger inside of them, eager to burn something and leave behind only ashes. “Weeks after Loki had escaped he reappeared in a SHIELD facility. I saw the video footage of it. He walked through a portal, smiled, grabbed the sceptre and left again. Making a fool out of all of us.”</p><p>Having his suspicion confirmed did nothing to make Stephen feel any better. Quite the opposite. In fact, his stomach was clenching and a strong sickness was coming over him. Loki had two Infinity Stones. The Space and the Mind Stone were in the hands of this mad megalomaniac. At least this meant that the stones were far away from Thanos. All of Loki’s ridiculously powerful actions suddenly made sense. The Space Stone allowed him to manipulate people’s minds and of course a person like Loki would take advantage of that.</p><p>“You are aware that the Tesseract and the sceptre make your brother one of the most powerful people in the entire universe.” Stephen stated matter-of-factly and Thor showed no reaction whatsoever. “I do not care what power he has been able to gain by taking what isn’t his. It is my responsibility to make sure he can no longer abuse it. I will not rest until my brother is where he belongs. A prison cell.”</p><p>***</p><p>When Stephen returned to the Kamar-Taj Kaecilius saw the look on his face and made no effort to approach him. Stephen was grateful for that. Back in his chamber Stephen sat down at his desk and grabbed a pen and a sheet of paper. So many new implications had surfaced today, he needed to write it all down to get a complete picture.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Thor on Earth, not Asgard</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Jane Foster is not in London, might not come in contact with the Reality Stone</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Hydra does not have the sceptre</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Rogers will probably still discover Hydra the same way</em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <strike>Wanda Maximof</strike>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <strike>Pietro Maximof</strike>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <strike>The Vision</strike>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Ultron? (might still happen, but probably not)</em>
</p><p>
  <em>No Sokovian disaster</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The Lagos Incident? (hardly going to happen now)</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>My own future might still mostly play out the same</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Except Loki decides to fuck up the entire planet</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Which he hasn’t done yet</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Looking at the sheet in front of him Stephen felt strangely calm for the first time in weeks. It was a sad realisation. Too much had been changed in this timeline, there simply was no way back to the status quo. The result was still horrifying, but nonetheless liberating since there was actually nothing he could do. Maybe it was the fact that the Reality Stone might never be uncovered if Jane Foster stayed where she was with Thor. This way it was completely out of Thanos’ reach and people would stay alive. One cross less for Stephen to bear.</p><p>Unfortunately Stephen was still not a single step closer to find a way back home.</p><p>“Well, that’s not completely true…” Stephen muttered to himself and closed his eyes in silent frustration. An idea had indeed formed in his mind which could only be called complete an utter madness. The real question was just how desperately Stephen wanted to get back home. More than anything else in the world and if that meant Stephen had to make a deal with the devil, so be it. He could not leave his own timeline without a Sorcerer Supreme any longer.</p><p>Having his mind made up Stephen set out to track down a psychotic sorcerer who was equipped with two Infinity Stones.</p><p>***</p><p>On day 13 Stephen was one more suspicious glance from Mordo away from banning him to the mirror dimension. Stephen had been here for weeks, if he was planning to kill the Ancient One or to set the Kamar-Taj on fire, he would have done so already, wouldn’t he? Nevertheless, Mordo watched his every move and with the very same distrust he had displayed the very moment Stephen had arrived here. It was agonizing. Mostly because Stephen was at the Kamar-Taj 24/7, waiting for a bleep on his radar. Kaecilius more often than not joined him and it bewildered Stephen, but he had stopped feeling annoyed by it. What he was feeling annoyed by was Mordo constantly asking Kaecilius what Stephen was doing and if anything shady was going on. Really? Stephen wasn’t the one who had killed the Ancient One in another timeline.</p><p>Tonight Kaecilius wasn’t with, Stephen hadn’t asked why because he was sure that the other one had other and definitely better things to do than staring at their magical alarm system. Stephen had tweaked it a little bit, the moment Loki’s energy signature would appear on the surface of this planet, Stephen would know about it. The only problem was that Loki could jump between planets and even dimension at will, there were millions of other places for him to be. It might be weeks until…</p><p>Stephen hadn’t even finished his own thought when he could see it right in front of him. Loki. In Japan. Tokyo to be exact. Better be quick, Stephen could not effort him slipping through his fingers. Three seconds later Stephen stepped through his portal and found himself on the roof skyscraper. Not a platform, not the kind of roof that had been created for people walking around on it, not without a security rope. The ground beneath his feet wasn’t even, it was curved downwards. Three more steps forward and Stephen would definitely lose his footing. Naturally it couldn’t be a normal location with Loki. The Asgardian was sitting on the very edge of the roof, casually relaxing, leaned back with his arms on the ground to support him. Loki’s back was to Stephen, but he was under no illusions about the Asgardian not being aware of his presence.</p><p>“You are displaying a severe death wish, Sorcerer Supreme.”</p><p>Stephen took one of his three steps closer. “I am not here to die. I am not even here to fight. I am here to ask you for help.”</p><p>That revelation certainly came as a surprise, because it had Loki turn his head to look at him. As he did so the wind, which was making Stephen increasingly uneasy, was tossing his black hair around as it pleased. At times it partly covered his face. “What a ridiculous request, but your madness is intriguing. Tell me what you need help with before I toss you off this roof.”</p><p>Fine, this was indeed madness, so why not just laying it all on the line. Stephen didn’t even take a breath. “I need your help to get the Time Stone back from Thanos, because I depend on it to get back to the timeline that I originally come from. I cannot do that alone and as much as it pains me to admit it… You are the most capable person around. Therefore I need your help.”</p><p>There it was, intrigue. Loki was standing up, studying Stephen closely with his eyes full of curiosity. The tails of his coat were flapping around like the wings of a bird. “Another timeline? How did you come here then?”</p><p>“An accident.”</p><p>“Very unlikely.”</p><p>“A magical entity created portals before it died. I fell through one. This is how I ended up here.”</p><p>Loki clicked his tongue and his smile made Stephen feel quite small. The curiosity had disappeared very quickly. “And now you are stuck here… What an awful predicament. That you will have to deal with on your own. I will be most entertained watching you fail.”</p><p>Stephen had expected as much. “That is unacceptable. You are going to help me.”</p><p>“And why would I help you?”</p><p>“Because otherwise I will dedicate my entire existence to making your life a living hell. Not just with magic, but with everything I got. I don’t belong here. I don’t have a life here. No, I have nothing else to do but annoy you. Day in. Day out. Is that what you want?”</p><p>Loki smirked at him. “You really don’t know me.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Negotiations</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello everybody,</p><p>Stephen and Loki talk and that's about it :)</p><p>Have fun</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>So far Stephen had only succeeded in amusing Loki which was in itself a dreadful achievement. Stephen was in no way eager to let Loki see his desperation, but at this point it became rather difficult to hide it. Why not try honesty? “Believe me, this situation is my perfect nightmare. Every single thing about it is antagonizing me. That should make you happy. Having to ask for your help is actually painful.”</p><p>Loki made a pensive noise that didn’t match the smile on his face. “Is that so? Then I definitely feel obligated to put you out of your misery.” With a casual wave he opened a pitch-black portal right behind him and something inside of Stephen snapped. All willingness to put up with this lunatic had just evaporated. Honestly, Stephen wanted him to go up in flames, but unfortunately he needed him, so Loki better stayed where he was.</p><p>“Don’t you fucking move!”</p><p>It worked. Loki did not take that one single step which would carry him to some place that was out of Stephen’s reach. Eyes narrowed, eyebrows pulled together. “I do not take kindly to people giving me orders.”</p><p>Was this guy serious? “I asked you to help me. Thirty seconds ago. That is the opposite of giving orders. Even you should get that.”</p><p>Loki made a step towards Stephen, away from the portal. Good. The murderous expression on his face wasn’t something to be happy about. “I also do not take kindly to insults.”</p><p>By now Stephen was sure that he was close to reaching his breaking point. Maybe he could be pushed a little bit further, but then he would actually prefer a physical fight to continuing a conversation with this lunatic. “I am not trying to insult you and believe you are making this really hard. I am willing to negotiate. Name your price. What do you want for your help? You are an opportunist, so go for it.”</p><p>It was downright embarrassing how Stephen was jumping between strategies. The problem was that he didn’t really know Loki. They had never had an actual conversation. Stephen could only rely on Thor’s sentimental ramblings that evidently couldn’t be trusted. That man was unable to see Loki like the rest of the world saw him. Well, at least the Thor in Stephen’s timeline. The Thor Stephen had met here seemed to get it. Right here and now Stephen was at loss, because he didn’t know what buttons to push and unfortunately he was no longer in a position to let his pride dictate his course of action.</p><p>“An opportunist.” Loki let the word roll off his tongue like he could actually taste it. “That is a new one, I think. I have not been called that one before. Strangely enough, because I would not even be able to deny it. So where does that leave us? Right, an opportunist and a beggar. A beggar who has nothing to offer. I could crush you and you would be dead before you even knew I moved. Nothing you have interests me.”</p><p>The words rang terribly true, but there was one small detail that was going to help Stephen out tremendously. “That is not true.”</p><p>His bold statement had Loki display more confusion than anger. “How so?”</p><p>“You are still here. We are talking. You haven’t left yet. You must be interested in something.”</p><p>Loki met his eyes and Stephen thought that his chances to stay out of a fight with him weren’t that bad at the moment. For once Loki was neither seething nor laughing, he just kept looking at Stephen with a hint of curiosity. “I disagree.”</p><p>“I do not care if you agree or disagree. I am proposing a mutually benefitting alliance.”</p><p>Slightly raising his chin Loki did his best to look down on Stephen despite the latter having the higher ground. “Again, I fail to see what kind of advantage I could get out of this.”</p><p>This was it. Finally Stephen was getting the chance to make his case and if Loki had a few brain cells, he was going to agree. “Thanos possessing an Infinity Stone is in nobody’s interest. I need it to get back home and you need it as far away from Thanos as possible to remain safe. We both need something, we should work together to get it.”</p><p>Stephen felt his pulse speeding up in the worst way when Loki snorted dismissively. “There is nothing for me to gain from this. I will not do your dirty work and you are fool for even coming here, daring to ask. Or maybe just mad.”</p><p>Okay, if one strategy failed, just try another one. One thing was for sure, Stephen wasn’t going to leave here without Loki’s support. “Fine, if you are unable to see the obvious… The fight with Thanos is coming. Sooner or later. It would be a first step to show your brother on what side you are. To get back into his good graces because that’s what you want. You just can’t admit it.”</p><p>The one thing that Thor loved to repeat over and over again. How Loki had wanted to be good and how the entire world and the universe had gotten in between. In all honesty, Stephen didn’t believe it for a second, but he had to throw it all against the wall and hope that anything would stick. One single glance at Loki left no room for doubt.</p><p>Until now Stephen had been a child trapped at the bottom of a pitch-black abyss, fumbling around in the darkness, hoping that he would find some tool that would help him to climb back up. Instead he had reached right into a tangle of thorns which were actively trying to pierce his skin. To bleed him dry.</p><p>There wasn’t even time to blink. Out of a sudden Loki was right in front of him without Stephen even seeing the trace of a portal. What he saw were bared teeth. Loki’s hand flung upwards and Stephen felt an immense pressure against his chest before his feet lost contact with the floor. His eyes only shortly caught a glimpse of the beam of black magic that had hit him.</p><p>This wasn’t playing around. The cracking noise he heard made sure of it. Stephen was brutally thrown off the roof and he would have fallen to his death if it hadn’t been for the cloak of levitation. It heroically stopped Stephen from falling and flew him back up to the roof. There Stephen hesitated to launch his counter attack when he saw the state Loki was in.</p><p>The last speck of green had disappeared from his eyes. They were two black holes in his face and the air around him was sizzling, cracking. Stephen’s heart skipped a beat. It was remarkable, frightening and fascinating all at once. Whatever button Stephen had pushed had unlocked the floodgates. Energy and magic was streaming out of Loki and Stephen was too in awe of the potential and force that he felt to even be worried. Despite just surviving an attempt on his life.</p><p>Loki, carrier of two Infinity Stones, was standing there, looking up at him and Stephen couldn’t remember anybody hating him as much as Loki did in this very moment. He simply had to, Stephen saw it in his expression. Even though his eyes were clouded with magic. The stupidest and most passionate part of Stephen wanted to take him apart and study him, because that wasn’t just the power of an Infinity Stone. Part of it, yes, but there was so much more to it.</p><p>Stephen felt his stomach twist as a realisation hit home hard. The Tesseract had been in Loki’s possession for over a year now and the Mind Stone for almost just as long. So much time for a man to already skilled in magic to find an endless number of ways to mess with them, to harness their power or to combine it with his own. At this moment Stephen should have started to feel dread and he did. Not enough though. Stephen wanted to analyse and study it. To understand what was happening right in front of his eyes.</p><p>Loki still refrained from attacking him again. Instead he screamed. “That treacherous Asgardian is no kin of mine! Nor is anyone else in this forsaken family! Do you hear me, Sorcerer Supreme?!”</p><p>Expecting another blast, another sign of aggression Stephen conjured his shields, but Loki wasn’t doing anything yet. A strange metal sound was uncomfortably piercing Stephen’s ears. He could see the screws vibrating all over the roof, seconds away from bursting out of the nut bolts. Every one of them was a potential projectile. Stephen took a breath. He wasn’t unprepared, Stephen had come here knowing what Loki had in his possession. This time Stephen had a good idea what to expect from a fight, but if there was any way to avoid a confrontation, Stephen would jump at the opportunity.</p><p>Here he was, on his own. Facing a sorcerer who was carrying two Infinity Stones and had been carrying them for the months. Thanos had had been for like two days and had killed half of the universe.</p><p>Talking about Thor had been the wrong way to go, Stephen had set off a bomb and he wasn’t known to be very good at calming people down. “Yes, I do hear you. I was not trying to upset you. That honestly wasn’t my intention. Can we refrain from clawing each other’s eyes out?”</p><p>With great worry Stephen watched the black rays dancing around Loki’s form. Clearly agitated. No, Stephen definitely couldn’t see him sacrificing his life for Thor or any other Asgardian. He’d rather kill them.</p><p>“You are becoming a nuisance, Sorcerer Supreme.”</p><p>Loki’s voice was still poisonous, but the immediate danger had subsided. Stephen could see his eyes turning back to their natural green.</p><p>“That was kind of the point. Help me out and I will be out of your hair forever. I’ll tell every other magic user on this planet to leave you alone.” Back to negotiating and Stephen got to witness something rather odd. All outer signs of black magic faded away and Loki was standing there almost casually. Not resembling in the slightest the menace he had been only seconds ago.</p><p>Seemingly the situation was safe enough to put his feet back on the ground. The cloak read his mind as it always did and gently lowered him back down. Loki quirked one eyebrow, his gaze closely following each of Stephen’s movements. “What a curious thing you’ve got wrapped around your shoulders. I’ll probably tear it off your cold corpse someday.”</p><p>“Charming. So that’s a no?”</p><p>Stephen was well aware that Loki’s attention was still on the cloak and that was more unsettling than everything that had happened until now. “What do you know about Thanos?”</p><p>Maybe Stephen was getting somewhere after all. “I know that he is trying to assemble all the Infinity Stones. He has the Time Stone which I need to get back to where I came from.”</p><p>Shortly Loki pursed his lips, then shrugged. “I still don’t see what any of that has to do with me. I will be pleased though to see you die trying.”</p><p>A new portal opened up right next to Loki and that jerk had the audacity to do a little wave. At this point Stephen couldn’t be even more humiliated, so he changed strategies a very last time when Loki was already one step away from the portal.</p><p>“You should help me because it’s in your own interest! Because you are smart and not an idiot!”</p><p>That did it. Loki stopped although he didn’t even fully turn to Stephen. His chin was slightly raised, challenging him. “Elaborate.” He said drily and Stephen would be damned if he fucked up this last chance, because it was obviously his last chance. If Loki wanted somebody to stroke his ego, Stephen could do that. Reluctantly and he would probably hate himself forever, but at least there would be a chance for him to go back where he belonged. Better repeat the important part first.</p><p>“You are not stupid. You know what Thanos wants. The Infinity Stones. The one he already had, he gave to you. You failed his mission, ran away with the Tesseract that you were supposed to deliver to him and you still have the sceptre. He has already sent his minions after you. How long until he comes for you personally? You will not be able to simply send him back home like you did with his servant. The Titan’s rage is still coming for you.”</p><p>Now Loki’s full attention was on him and the Asgardian crossed his arms in front of his chest. The portal was still open, hanging over Stephen as a clear threat. “Taking into consideration what you have just said, I should stay away as far as I can from the Titan. You are suggesting to go to him and to steal from me. For you. I do not think so.”</p><p>“It’s in your interest too.”</p><p>“How so?”</p><p>“Because he has the Time Stone.”</p><p>“According to you I have two stones. Why should I be worried about Thanos having one?”</p><p>Those were all rhetorical questions. Stephen wasn’t quite sure though why Loki was playing with him. Maybe just for the sake of it. “You must be aware of what the Time Stone can do. You can run away to other end of this galaxy. One second is enough. Then you are not going suffer once, but over and over again. In an endless loop. Forever. He can even bring you back from the dead if he wants to. You clearly do not want Thanos to have the Time Stone. Not when he is holding a grudge against you. Not when you have something that he wants.”</p><p>Loki was grinding his jaw and Stephen could have slapped himself for not going there sooner. Egomaniacs might be only interested in themselves, but that could also work in somebody else’s favour. At the moment Loki was living the high life and Stephen was certain that wanted to continue to live in general.</p><p>“Take pity on me, Sorcerer Supreme. I still do not see why I need you in all of this.” The sly smile was back and Stephen felt like talking to a sullen child who was in love with the word no. Unfortunately Loki did have a point there. What had Stephen to offer at this moment when Loki was equipped with two of the most powerful artefacts in the entire universe?</p><p>Stephen felt the little grip he had on Loki slipping and that could not happen. It simply was not an option to waste his life away in this timeline that wasn’t his own. Where Loki was more powerful than him.</p><p>After clicking his tongue Loki nodded to himself and just as he was about to turn away again Stephen made the decision to lie. Right through his teeth without scruple and remorse. “I know how you are going to die.”</p><p>Suddenly Stephen had Loki looking at him. Actually looking at him. Maybe for the very first time. There was unease in his green eyes. Mostly distrust. Now that Stephen had chosen this path, he would have to go all the way.</p><p>“If you are going to help me, I will tell you and then you might have a chance to change what’s going to happen to you.”</p><p>Loki took his time to reply and Stephen could see the wheels inside his head turn. During all that Stephen was busy trying to keep his pokerface. Eventually Loki spoke up again and the lack of smugness in his voice gave Stephen some hope. “Another timeline you said? How many years in the future?”</p><p>“Ten.”</p><p>Huffing Loki made a dismissive gesture. “Time is a fickle thing. New timelines can be created easily. The course of events can be changed like this.” To illustrate Loki snapped his fingers and Stephen could see a few thin black lines floating around his hand. They were delicate and beautiful. “This one is obviously different than the one you come from. You have no information that could be of any value to me.”</p><p>“Do you want to risk your life on that? Not everything is different. You don’t even have ten years. You’ve been dead for over six years. You are moving towards this point. I will tell you what happens to you if you help me.”</p><p>A deal. Clear and simple. Loki would be mad if he didn’t take it.</p><p>The corners of Loki’s mouth moved up and Stephen felt the other’s magic reaching for him before he could even see it. Instantly Stephen put up his shields and black smoke was crawling all over it. Loki was directing its movements by slightly wiggling his fingertips. “I can just look into your mind again and get everything I need. Even more than that.”</p><p>“No, you wouldn’t. You didn’t see much the first time and I made sure that you will not see anything if you should try again. There is no need to anyway. I will tell you all you need to know. Just help me out on this one. I get to go back home and you get to stay alive. Do the decent thing for once in your life.”</p><p>The black smoke evaporated and Loki raised his hands in mock defeat to show that he wasn’t looking for another fight. “You’ve made your case, Sorcerer Supreme. You are lucky that I do think you’re entertaining. I will consider your request.”</p><p>That jerk was actually winking at him before disappearing through the portal, leaving Stephen behind like an idiot. One second passed, then two and the portal did not collapse. Could be an invitation, could be a trap or maybe Loki simply was the type of person who did not bother to close a door behind himself. One thing was sure though, Stephen wasn’t going to wait another couple of weeks for Loki to show back up. Not going to happen. Despite all better judgement Stephen followed Loki through the portal. Most likely he was going to regret it.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Entertain me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi everybody,</p><p>Loki finally decides what to do and Stephen is still in a world of misery</p><p>Have fun</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“You could have said that in a different way. Slightly more diplomatic.”</p><p>“And waste precious time? No, thank you. I am not doing that kind of thing.” Stephen didn’t see the point in putting on velvet gloves for anybody. Especially not some second class colleague who probably had won his diploma in some charity lottery. Looking back Stephen didn’t quite know why he hadn’t actually said that. It would have been more honest and Christine was always advocating for complete honesty, wasn’t she?</p><p>“A basic minimum of politeness is not a waste of time.” Christine replied and her voice was just hinting at a sigh. Stephen was familiar with that tone. It combined with the soft frown meant that Christine was still debating with herself if she actually wanted this conversation to develop into a fight. According to Stephen’s experience she decided against it most of the time. Probably because Stephen was very bad at backing off or giving in.</p><p>Well, he had to be bad at something, right?</p><p>“Why do I have the feeling that you’re not just referring to this most recent conversation?” Stephen stripped off his top and carelessly tossed his scrubs into his locker while Christine, who had already changed, watched him. Judging by the expression on her face Stephen could be ironing his shirt instead of taking it off.</p><p>“Because that conversation reminded me very much of another one that we had had one week ago. When you referred to the project that I am trying to start as a waste of time and effort.”</p><p>Right, Stephen should have known that this was coming back to haunt him. Not that it changed anything about his opinion. Slipping on his sweater Stephen shook his head. “That’s what it is. Nobody is going to throw money at the ER, because it simply is not flashy or fancy enough. Too many drug addicts and people who cannot afford insurance. It’s way better press to donate to the oncology. Especially when you can slap a picture of a sick kid on the title page. That’s going to make some money. Not a worn-out meth addict.”</p><p>Christine was a smart woman and at the end of the day, she knew all that. Sometimes her idealism just got in the way. Unfortunately though Christine was anything but grateful for his piece of advice. “But those are the people who need help the most. The ones that cannot afford it. It’s a huge problem on so many levels. There is not enough funding for the ER and the best doctors decide to work in a fancier, flashier department where they can make more money.”</p><p>Stephen huffed in fake offence when in reality he was amused. He couldn’t think of anybody but Christine who was allowed to criticse him that way. Simply because he couldn’t gather up much respect for anybody’s opinion on him. With Christine that wasn’t the case.</p><p>“You know that he ER is a butcher shop. A piece of meat ends up on your table, you stitch it up and then the next piece comes along. There is no finesse or expertise needed. My talents would be wasted.” Stephen stated simply as he closed the door of his locker and adjusted the collar of his coat.</p><p>Christine’s lips parted, but not a sound came out which was a sign that Stephen was in trouble. One second passed which had been enough for Christine to swallow the very first thing she had wanted to say. Probably something nasty, but she just wasn’t the type of woman to voice it. After all she had class and she could nicely dress up an insult instead of simply uttering a four-letter word. Something that Stephen immensely appreciated.</p><p>“But my talents are perfectly adequate?”</p><p>Almost offended Stephen grimaced. “No. I’ve been telling you for ages that you are too good of a surgeon to be wasting away in ER and now you’re investing loads of energy into making sure that you will be stuck there for an infinitive amount of time. It’s almost like a Greek tragedy.”</p><p>Not saying anything Christine grinded her jaw and her eyes were hardening. An expression that hardly anyone but Stephen ever got to see. Nobody else seemed to capable of provoking her to this point where she wouldn’t make the effort to come up with a minimum of politeness. Or maybe she was being polite and actually wanted to say a lot of different things. Stephen wasn’t even trying to incite this reaction on purpose.</p><p>“Since pretty much all of Greek tragedies end up in murder, I will sleep at my place tonight.”</p><p>“Oh, come on, Christine.”</p><p>“I’m planning to waste a lot of energy trying to come up with ideas how to raise funds and I don’t want to incommode you.” After grabbing her jacket Christine quickly rushed out of the locker room and Stephen stayed behind, releasing a long breath. This wasn’t the first time something like this happened and it was better to give them both the opportunity to cool down. A pity though, Stephen had planned to cook Chicken Parmesan for Christine tonight.</p><p>Once Christine had enough of a lead Stephen followed her and thought of how he was going to spend the evening. He had merely taken three steps down the hall when he could hear the most annoying sound in the entire world. An intern calling his name.</p><p>“Doctor Strange! Doctor Strange!”</p><p>Obviously Stephen had done a bad job if they still weren’t too scared to approach him. Groaning in a not very discreet way Stephen stopped and narrowed his eyes at the young man who was slightly out of breath after trying to catch up with him. Pathetic lot. All of them. “I’ve just finished a 12 hour shift. I am wearing my own private clothes and I am heading for the exit. What on earth makes you think that I am still avaible to ask any stupid question you might have?”</p><p>Now the intern was stumbling over his own words and Stephen thought he was going to make an effort to remember his face. Merely to make the other’s life as miserable as possible.</p><p>“I am so sorry, Doctor Strange, but it’s really important! I am so glad that I still got a hold of you.”</p><p>“Well, that makes one of us. What is it? I hope it’s a beautifully shattered spine or so help you God.”</p><p>The intern feverishly shook his head. “No. She said she needed to talk to you. Urgently.”</p><p>This was the reason why Stephen didn’t teach. An embarrassment. “Consultation hours are over. She will have to talk to somebody else. Also, you should know better than to harass me with something so…”</p><p>“No, you don’t understand. She absolutely needs to talk to you. She looked at me and said that you had to come to her right now. Not a second later. I’ve run all the way here. Please, you must hurry. You cannot let her wait.”</p><p>The urgency in the intern’s voice was staggering and completely unexpected. Stephen pictured a woman lying on the floor and bleeding out. Which couldn’t be the case. Nonetheless something about this was strangely intriguing. Interns didn’t just run up to Stephen without a complete anamensis and they definitely didn’t tell him that he had to do anything. For that reason only Stephen was going to check out the woman who had caused this fuss. The intern was going to wait outside though.</p><p>The very second Stephen entered the consulation room he felt a pang of disappointment. The woman sitting on the chair definitely didn’t have a shattered spine and she looked way to happy to be here for a consultation. Stephen felt like turning around on the spot. “I am Doctor Stephen Strange. You asked for me?”</p><p>There, Stephen’s voice made clear what he thought about this encounter.</p><p>Clearly unbothered but not unaware of his irritation the young woman smiled at him. Not exactly friendly, rather wickedly. Stephen supposed she was one of these women who could only act flirtatious in the presence of a man. It was hardly possible to refrain from rolling his eyes.</p><p>“Doctor. A healer. I must admit that I did not admit that.”</p><p>Her voice was a little bit deep for a woman, but undeniably pleasant. What she was not though.</p><p>“Look, Lady, if you are here to waste somebody’s time, you can look for someone else.”</p><p>“Oh no.” The woman shook her head and her long sleek hair fell over her shoulder like a pitch-black river. “I am only interested in talking to you. Nobody else.”</p><p>Stephen started an inward countdown. “So what medical problem do you have that you need help with?”</p><p>Slightly raising her chin, a movement that revealed a delicate throat, she openly looked Stephen up and down. What the hell was this about? “I definitely prefer the beard. You have one of those faces. Almost odd looking without facial hair.”</p><p>Now it was just getting confusing. “I beg your pardon?”</p><p>“I looked you up.” She said and slightly lifted one eyebrow suggestively. “You have a stellar reputation as a medic, but your bedside manner is not very highly rated. For example when I mentioned your name, I could feel fear dripping off the young man whom I sent to get you. The kind of fear that can only be evoked when there is also respect. Rather surprising, I must admit.”</p><p>Stephen was definitely playing the thought of calling security, something was obviously wrong with this woman and it made him uncomfortable. “Are you in actual need of a doctor or are you here to tell me that you want to become my stalker?”</p><p>This remark had her laughing. “Me? Stalking you? Oh dear Sorcerer Supreme. It is the other way around. You simply will not stop bothering me. So I had to take a closer look. All the things you said… I like to know where they are coming from. Now would you be so kind and tell me your opinion on magic? Have you welcomed it into your life yet?”</p><p>Yes, definitely security. This was a lunatic. Stephen turned around, put his hand on the doorknob and he turned it. Nothing happened. So Stephen tried again, in vain which made no sense because this door couldn’t be locked. “What the…”</p><p>“Will you please offer me the bare minimum of politeness, Sorcerer Supreme? Do not turn your back on me. We are still having a conversation.”</p><p>Stephen tried again while starting to feel a little nervous. Nothing happened and so he did as he was told, turned around and looked at the woman. Her green eyes were piercing and curious. “Such a simple spell. Easily breakable. But here you are. Looking absolutely help- and clueless. Not very entertaining and until now I’ve considered this your only valuable quality. To entertain me. Without it you are…”</p><p>She stood up, not smiling anymore. “… shockingly dull.”</p><p>Stephen was going to memorize every single detail about her appearance, because she was not putting another foot into this hospital. “Who are you?”</p><p>“A future acquaintance. A very bored one. I even think that scaring you out of your tiny mortal mind will not be as satisfying as I thought it would be.” She made a swift gesture with her fingers and the door behind Stephen swung open, crashing against the hall. Stephen almost jumped out of his skin and the woman chuckled. “I was wrong. This was fun.”</p><p>Rather carelessly she walked past Stephen who stared at her speechlessly, wondering what the hell had just happened. His heart was racing.</p><p>***</p><p>This world, planet or whatever world Stephen had ended up in looked similar enough to Earth to not have him worried at the moment. He was standing on a small hill, looking down on a beautiful forest and a small town. Village. Lots of horses, no motorized vehicles. Clearly that level of development hadn’t been reached yet. Stephen wasn’t sure how these people would react to magic.</p><p>Why had Loki come here? And more importantly where had he disappeared to? Just seconds after having walked through the portal Loki had grinned at him, waved and vanished. That had happened maybe 15 minutes ago. Loki couldn’t be so arrogant to think that he had Stephen trapped here. He could open another portal any time.</p><p>However, Stephen had followed Loki here who wasn’t here anymore and that couldn’t be good.</p><p>Stephen was by no way sure if he had convinced Loki that helping him was in their common interested, but he felt slightly confident in having intrigued him. A little lie could go a long way. Depending on this lunatic’s help still made Stephen’s skin crawl, but beggars couldn’t be choosers and Stephen definitely was a beggar in this scenario.</p><p>Just when Stephen was considering exploring the town on his own a new portal appeared right next to him.</p><p>For merely a second Stephen got the glimpse of a young man walking through it. A shimmer of green magic lingered over her and then there was Loki in his black glory. Whatever he had been up to, Stephen probably didn’t want to know. Especially not since the other one seemed to be in a rather good mood.</p><p>“Yes, the beard is definitely an improvement.”</p><p>Frowning softly Stephen didn’t ask.</p><p>“You are still here. Rather stubborn, aren’t you?”</p><p>“Everything I’ve ever said to you so far should have given you that exact impression.” Stephen replied drily and Loki merely shrugged. “Alright, if you want to follow me around like a good dog, feel free to do so. If you can keep up.”</p><p>Before Stephen could snarl all sorts of insults at him Loki vanished, but he left behind a black energy signature. Heading straight for the village. How had this become Stephen’s life? Resigning himself to his fate Stephen followed him, because he would be damned if Loki got to make even one unsupervised step.</p><p>So this was how Stephen ended up walking through a Medival looking town, tagging along with Loki. Surreal. Also very unpleasant since Loki was having fun. How could he not – the city was in a complete state of chaos? At every corner there was some peasant shouting paroles at some crowd. It wasn’t hard to figure out that some kind of uprising was taking place. Evidently the population was at the edge of a revolution, adamant on bringing down some Lord who was supressing them. The vibe of agitation was constant and almost too much to take. Every now and then Stephen spotted small groups who were gathering arms, spikes and axes. This was going to end in a bloodbath and Stephen didn’t need to be around to see that.</p><p>Unlike him Loki was having a blast. Eventually he stopped at a small market, grabbed an apple from a stand and tossed the vendor a silver coin. As Loki was biting into his apple with quite some relish, Stephen turned to the man who had sold him the fruit. “Good sir, do you mind telling me what is going on here?”</p><p>The man stared at Stephen in disbelief for a second, but then probably decided that Stephen was a stranger and offered a short explanation. “People are finally getting together to overthrow the Lord who has been mistreating everyone for decades. His reign shall finally end!”</p><p>There was chuckle coming from Stephen’s left and he very distrustfully eyed Loki’s smug expression. God, no. “If he has been mistreating all of you for decades, why are you only now doing something about it?”</p><p>“The Lord is powerful, his castle an impregnable fortress. For years nobody dared to even think about stepping out of line. The Lord’s punishments are harsh and cruel.”</p><p>“So what changed?”</p><p>“A group of men moving from town to town, willing to pick up their arms. Inspiring people to no longer be inactive.”</p><p>Loki was shaking as he was trying to hold back his laughter and Stephen wanted to gut him as he put the pieces together. Only when they had moved slightly away from the food stand Stephen started accusing him. “You did this, didn’t you?”</p><p>“Me? Did what?” Loki asked with fake innocence, still smirking.</p><p>“This uprising. You caused it. How? And why?”</p><p>Loki took his sweet time chewing on his apple, then he finally stooped to explaining what was going on. A little bit. “I’m actually surprised it went this far. Hard to believe but I’m still sometimes underestimating my own rhetorical skills.”</p><p>“What did you do?”</p><p>“Moved from town to town. Inspiring people to no longer be inactive.”</p><p>Stephen was going to throw up. “Why? You are not really interested in the well-being of these people.”</p><p>“I was interested in what was going to happen. Also their Lord was rude to me when I invited myself to dinner at his castle. I thought a small revolution would be the adequate punishment. In your pathetic mortal life you’ve probably never had the opportunity to witness one. You are missing out. They are vastly entertaining.”</p><p>“And that’s all that counts for you?” Stephen asked with a bad taste in his mouth. “Finding different ways to entertain yourself? Sending these people to their deaths? Just so you can play God?” There was no other way to describe it, he was disgusted.</p><p>None of that bothered Loki, he was still nibbling happily on his apple. “Your future self is definitely just as rude as your present self. I will gladly attest to that in front of everybody who wants to hear it.”</p><p>Within an instant Stephen’s blood ran cold and he barely managed to asked what Loki meant by that. “What did you do? Where did you go after you had left?”</p><p>When Loki looked at him there was an amused sparkle in his eyes and an underlying threat that was impossible to miss. “I was feeling a little off, so I went to the hospital to see a doctor. A rather rude specimen. Not just to me. From what I gather he was having a rather nasty fight with a fellow doctor. The lovely Doctor Palmer.”</p><p>It simply wasn’t in Stephen’s nature to react without thinking first. He always needed a plan, a strategy, otherwise he felt uneasy. Knee-jerk reactions didn’t happen with him. Stephen was too smart for that.</p><p>Right now there was no thinking, no common sense, no little voice that told him that he shouldn’t provoke the carrier of two Infinity Stones. That this was madness.</p><p>Loki didn’t lift a finger nor an eyebrow when golden ropes of magic wrapped themselves around his upper body, making him unable to move his arms. Stephen held on to the other end and in his rage he yanked at it for no other reason than wanting to hurt the other one. The magical bonds became tighter, they had to be cutting into Loki’s skin. “You stay aware from her, is that clear? You deal with me. This timeline’s version of me has nothing to do with any of this. In 2013 I was another person. I had another life and you will stay away from it, do you understand? You stay away or I will kill you. I don’t care if I’m stuck here forever. You will stay away, got it?”</p><p>Stephen was actually trembling with rage when Loki’s eyes darted to the apple he had dropped, ignoring him. “Are you listening to me?!”</p><p>It seemed to be his scream that finally made Loki react. “Yes, I am. A man who claims to be lost in time and it is the sheer mentioning of a person in your past that makes you reek of desperation. Sentiment. A horrid habit that I’ve shed some time ago. I do not care about the boring little man who works in that hospital or who he spends his time with. I don’t even care about you.”</p><p>Only now Stephen could feel the other one starting to work against the binds and he was stunned to see Loki actually try to slip out of them by pulling them over his head. Stephen redoubled his effort and Loki ended up with merely his wrists tied together. Sadly Stephen had no illusions about how weak his grip on him was. “I want you to say that you are going to stay away from them.”</p><p>“Oh, my dear Sorcerer Supreme…” Loki’s black gloves were glowing and the smile on his face was insane. “I do whatever I want.”</p><p>Golden sparks were flying as Loki tore the bonds apart.</p><p>There was no attack. No hand around his throat. Loki remained where he was.</p><p>“But you are right about one thing. I only do the things that I do to entertain myself. That is the only downside of yielding so much power. I do get bored very easily. Finding a way to cheat reality and time by creating a doorway between different timelines? Now that is exciting. That’s the reason why I am going to help you. For as long as the task is going to entertain me.”</p><p>Truth to be told Stephen was at a loss for words.</p><p>Again, Loki didn’t care. “Now let’s go before they point their spikes at us for this open display of magic. A revolution is the last thing on their minds now, so since you ruined that we might as well leave.”</p><p>Stephen didn’t even look around to see the reaction they had caused among the people. He joined Loki in walking through the portal, wondering how much time would pass before they would ultimately kill each other.</p>
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<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Research</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello everybody, </p><p>Two sorcerers finally starting to work together. More or less</p><p>Have fun :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Finally Stephen was getting what he wanted and he couldn’t even feel good about it, because it meant working with Loki. He was trying to look on the bright side, this was his ticket home and Stephen was willing to dig his teeth right into it. Stephen was determined to work harder on this than on anything else he had ever worked on before. Now he was finally going to make progress on his way back home.</p><p>Except for the fact that the portal had brought them into the patio of the Kamar-Taj, not exactly the place where Stephen had expected to go. At least there was nobody around at this time or he would have a lot of explaining to do. “What are we doing here?”</p><p>“I’m dropping you off. I need to do some research.” Loki stated and was already turning back around to leave. What? Was Stephen supposed to wait for another couple of weeks for him to show back up? Not going to happen.</p><p>“I’m going to join you on this one.”</p><p>Loki answered with a small but smug grin. “I don’t think so. You wouldn’t be able to keep up.”</p><p>This collaboration was definitely not something Stephen was looking forward to. By now he should really know better than to pick a fight. “Oh, try me.”</p><p>Naturally Loki answered with a little chuckle and Stephen wanted to punch him. “I don’t see the need to. Just the titles of the books I am going to check out would mangle your simple mortal mind. Written in languages that you could never comprehend the structure of.”</p><p>Arguing with Loki wasn’t going to get Stephen anywhere, he had learned that by now. The Asgardian had such a blown-up ego that he was unable to admit that he could ever be wrong and when he run out of arguments, there would be a clash of fists. Or rather magic. No, Stephen was going to be smart. He was going to take a step back. No more provocation just because Loki didn’t deserve any different. No.</p><p>Yet Stephen’s mouth opened on its own and he heard himself talk. “That simple mortal mind had you disarmed and uselessly lying on the floor of my foyer the very first time we met.”</p><p>Loki’s smile didn’t waiver, but Stephen noticed with a tingle of satisfaction the displeased lines around the other’s eyes. “Not the way I remember it.”</p><p>Too bad for him that this was one of the fondest memories of Stephen’s entire life. Whenever he looked back to that moment a smile was spreading across his face. There was something wonderfully uplifting about thinking of Loki falling through that portal. “I have known you for so much longer than you’ve known me.” That was quite the exaggeration since Stephen had only ever spent one minute with the other Loki, but the good thing about lying was that it became easier with time and practice. “It would be very unpleasant for you and probably funny for me. I am not going to let you do this alone. I do not trust you. End of story.”</p><p>“You don’t? I feel so hurt.” With a shocked gesture Loki sent Stephen a glance that would make a stranger believe that his heart had been just ripped apart. It did nothing but annoy Stephen beyond words.</p><p>“I am growing awfully tired of your theatrics.”</p><p>Just as quickly as snipping one’s fingers Loki’s expression turned completely serious. “You know… knew a version of me. Time can make quite the difference in a person. It moulds them into a completely new shape. Sure, the differences between alternate timelines can be marginal. Forgettable even. Or they might just be gigantic. We’ve got the full range. Whatever version of me you think you know. Better forget about it. Why don’t we start over? A proper introduction. My name is Loki. God of Mischief. A most outrageous pleasure to meet you.”</p><p>Stephen was willing to play along. Begrudgingly “I wish I could say the same. Now that we’ve met how about we start working together immediately? To our mutual benefit. I want to go home and you want to stay alive.”</p><p>Loki’s eyes got a little smaller. “Have you listened to anything that I just said? Whatever information you might have about the other version of me, it does not matter. It bears no importance whatsoever to me.”</p><p>Taking his time Stephen looked at the other one, inquiringly, trying to take in every detail about his expressions and interpreting them. He was going out on a limb here, but the worst thing Stephen could do was to agree with Loki. “Honestly, I expected you to be a better liar.”</p><p>Such a simple accusation and yet Stephen had hit bullseye. Another transformation that happened shockingly quick. From teasing to serious from serious to angry. “I beg your pardon?”</p><p>“Yes, there can be huge differences between the timelines, but it’s still you. The same person. Dead. If you want to pretend that you are not scared, that this has nothing to do with you helping me, fine. Okay with me. I honestly do not care as long as we get this done. So let’s get to work. Right now.”</p><p>Naturally that didn’t happen. No, Loki instead bared his teeth. “I am not scared. Of anything.”</p><p>“I honestly do not care! Your motivations do not matter to me.”</p><p>“I am starting to get very upset about the fact that you still not seem to understand that I could kill you in heartbeat. You would be dead before you had the chance to realise that something was about to happen.”</p><p>This was an honest threat, Stephen could easily tell by the cold shudder that was running down his spine. Yes, he needed to push or he wouldn’t get anywhere with Loki. On the other hand there had to be some line in the sand. It was just very hard to see. “This habit makes you look very confident in your abilities. The constant reminding of how powerful and deadly you are. Can we skip it and get to work?”</p><p>Loki took half a step closer, his gloved fingers were curling into a fist and Stephen expected to be hit. With brute magical force. It didn’t happen, they got interrupted.</p><p>“What is going on here?!”</p><p>Having both been oblivious to their surroundings Loki and Stephen winced before quickly turning their heads to find out who had spoken up. Given Stephen’s constant streak of bad luck it was of course Mordo. Mordo who appeared to have stumbled in a bar fight, didn’t know what was going on, but was ready to throw a couple of punches. Stephen’s mind was racing with the speed of light, he needed to come up with an explanation and it had to be good. After all he had just been caught conversing with the enemy right in the centre of the Kamar-Taj. As a cherry on top the guy who had walked in on them was the one who had never trusted Stephen to begin with. Hopefully there would be time to say anything, there was a good chance that Loki would just go ahead and start another fight.</p><p>“It is alright. We are having a little argument. We are going to sort it out.” Stephen thought a second about putting a smile on his face, but that would be too grotesque.</p><p>“Have you… You brought him to the Kamar-Taj! Are you mad?!”</p><p>In all honesty, yes, probably. Stephen couldn’t fault Mordo for assuming the very worst. It seemed like the obvious conclusion. “Yes, I know this looks bad, but technically I didn’t bring him here. He brought me here.”</p><p>Not that this was going to make things any better. Mordo had already and not very subtly moved into his battle pose and Stephen was 70% sure that he was going to be treated like an enemy as well.</p><p>Until now Loki had remained silent, his eyes had darted from Stephen to Mordo with some genuine interest. Suddenly the corners of his mouth started to curl upwards, forming a pleased smirk. Stephen didn’t even have the time to panic or to feel sick, because Loki started talking with his voice drenched in honey. “Oh yes, since dear Stephen here was so kind to offer me a collaboration, which I gladly accepted, we have decided that the best way to celebrate our new friendship is for him to give me a tour around the Kamar-Taj. Who better to do that than the Sorcerer Supreme himself? Oh, I simply cannot wait to see the very heart of the fortress of the Masters of the Mystic Arts. All the secret spells and artefacts.”</p><p>“Will you shut up? “ Stephen hissed at Loki, but there wasn’t much bite to it. His attention was focused on Mordo whose rage was visibly being fed with every single one of Loki’s words. Which was clearly this asshole’s attention. It was sufficient to call Stephen ‘Sorcerer Supreme’ to make Mordo angry, there was not an ounce of trust between them and now Loki made it look like Stephen was cosying up to the enemy. Technically the last part was true, yes, but Stephen had no intention whatsoever to let Loki into the sacred chambers of the Kamar-Taj or share any of its secrets with him. It was already giving Stephen the worst headache imaginable to know that Loki could open portals within the walls of the Kamar-Taj at his leisure. Now he was giving Mordo the impression that Stephen was opening all the doors, gesturing at their most precious items, telling Loki ‘Go ahead and serve yourself’.</p><p>“Listen, Mordo, I’m going to explain…”</p><p>Stephen never got any further, because Mordo was pretty much losing it. “He is a mystical threat to this entire planet and you are collaborating with him?! I knew from the very beginning you could not be trusted!”</p><p>Instead of concentrating on Mordo’s face which was contorted with anger, Stephen’s eyes were fixed on the other’s fingers which were tightly curled around the Staff of the Living Tribunal. This situation could escalate any second and in all honesty, Stephen didn’t see any scenario during which Mordo would just step aside and let Loki walk out of here.</p><p>“Okay, that’s a completely fair assumption, but this is no collaboration. I am not giving him a tour. I did not bring him here.”</p><p>A soft surprised gasp came from his right. Loki had the audacity to act… shocked? Disappointed? Stephen didn’t get it, but the expression on Loki’s face was completely new. No smugness, no rage or condescension. No, he looked genuinely hurt. “What? You are already denying our friendship? All the hardships we went through together? That time I saved your life? Your complete eagerness to form a partnership with me? I was so reluctant, but I agreed and this is how you thank me? Immediately stabbing me in the back in front of one of your friends? You are a cruel man, Sorcerer Supreme.”</p><p>This complete lunatic was having fun on Stephen’s expanse and maybe he was even going to end up having Mordo kill him. As much as it pained Stephen, it seemed to be an actual possibility. “Shut up! Mordo, I…”</p><p>Stephen had intended to make a step forward, but Mordo raised the staff. So Stephen was now being treated as a hostile force. Just wonderful. Loki was laughing so hard inwardly that Stephen thought he could hear it.</p><p>“Do not come closer! You are going to step away from him and he is going to leave. Instantly.”</p><p>“I am sorry, but I cannot have him leaving.”</p><p>Again, a little whisper from Loki who had giving up on not looking like he was having the time of his life. “I love this.”</p><p>By now Mordo was pretty much growling at them, ready to protect the Kamar-Taj at any price. “So you are working with him!”</p><p>Stephen took a breath, this was bad. Really bad. Perhaps he should have used the last couple of weeks to build some kind of relationship with Mordo. Trying to come to some mutual respect. Damn, why couldn’t it have been Kaecilius who had spotted them? Good god, had Stephen really just thought that?</p><p>“Well, I didn’t actually have any interest in your pitiful temple and the deplorable library, but you just told me no, so now there is nothing in this entire universe that I want more than to get inside.” Loki had shed the playfulness and the dangerous gleam had returned to his eyes.</p><p>Purely out of instinct Stephen reached out and grabbed Loki’s lower arm which clearly threw the other one off his game. “You’ve had your fun! Stop it!.”</p><p>After glancing at Stephen’s hand on his arm Loki looked back up at him, a grin appearing on his face. “I’ve never had enough fun. There never is enough fun.”</p><p>“Strange! You will answer for what you did here. Now step away from the Asgardian!”</p><p>Gritting his teeth Stephen made a decision, because he could not have a fight and he could not lose any more time. He could not lose track of Loki again.</p><p>“I’m not going to step away. If I am no longer welcome at the Kamar-Taj, so be it. I do not care. I actually do need his help. Help which I wasn’t able to find here.”</p><p>Mordo just stared at him with wide eyes and next to him Loki muttered “Now that was unexpected. I’m almost impressed.”</p><p>Casually Loki wiggled his fingers and a portal opened up between them and Mordo. None of the latter’s magic could even reach them. Stephen thought he was going to develop a stomach ulcer when Loki made a little bow. “After you, Sorcerer Supreme.”</p><p>This very second Stephen promised himself that at the exact moment when he was no longer going to be in need of Loki’s help anymore, he was going to make Loki regret all of this. For now Stephen had to limit himself to glaring at the other one. Loki smiled like a shark.</p><p>While walking through the portal Stephen was thinking about if a return to the Kamar-Taj would be even possible now. Mordo definitely wasn’t going to lose any time telling everybody what he had witnessed and that was the right thing to do. It was true, Stephen was responsible for bringing Loki to the Kamar-Taj and that was a severe breach of trust. They still didn’t know him, now it would be easy to assume that he was working with a terrorist. Which he was. The Ancient One knew that he was a good person, but even she had to draw a line somewhere. No, Stephen was going to worry about that later.</p><p>“I do must tell you… I really enjoyed that. Maybe this alliance will not be such a dull affair after all.” Loki was actually humming which gave Stephen an eerie feeling. The echo of his voice bounced off the high stone walls back at them and made everything even stranger. To distract himself Stephen concentrated on his new surroundings and he was relieved to see that Loki had indeed brought them to a library.</p><p>“I certainly did not. Your idea of fun is…” Stephen decided that it would be a better idea not to finish the sentence. “So this is where you do your research on alternate timelines?”</p><p>Sitting down at one of several big tables Loki shook his head, he was clearly amused. “No. It is where I intend to research whatever magical creature opened the door you went through. If one is looking for a way out, it is not a bad idea to remember how one got in in the first place. It is rather obvious. Shame you haven’t thought of it before.”</p><p>Keeping his pulse down during this cooperation was going to be the greatest challenge of Stephen’s life. “I did think of it. I just didn’t find anything yet.”</p><p>“Obviously. That’s why you begged me to help you. You might as well help me now. I am feeling a bit tired. Why don’t you carry all the books from these shelves over here? Make yourself useful.” The little shit even put his feet on the table, putting his long legs on display.</p><p>Stephen sighed deeply, feeling like he was about to lecture a child. “Okay, I feel the very strong need to establish some rules if the two of us want to have a chance to get through a day without killing each other. You agreed to help me and I appreciate that. However if you are tempted to believe only for a second that I am going to do your biding, you are blatantly wrong. Moreover I want to point out that I did not beg you. At no point. Get your books yourself. And good Lord, take your feet off the table. I thought you were a prince. Didn’t they teach you some royal manners?”</p><p>In a gesture of pure provocation Loki leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms behind his head. “King actually and as a king I do what I want.”</p><p>In response Stephen rolled his eyes. “Fine. Put your feet wherever you want, your royal highness.” Not even Stephen was capable of putting as much irony into this sentence as he wanted to. “But you are going to get your books yourself.”</p><p>Not saying anything Loki slightly raised his left hand and nonchalantly turned his hand. About ten different books came flying of the shelf with rapid speed, but they abruptly slowed down and gently landed on the table right next to Loki’s feet. He was showing off in the most casual way and at some point Stephen had to stop rolling his eyes or they were going to end up damaged. Too bad for Loki that Stephen was an expert in showing off, there had been a time when there had been nothing else that he had been doing. So Stephen gladly repeated the trick he had perfected years ago at the Kamar-Taj, the one he had used to almost drive Wong mad. Reaching through the small portal he had created Stephen grabbed a random book and raised an eyebrow at Loki. A couple of very slow seconds passed and all they did was look at each other. Waiting for the other one to make some abrasive or provocative remark. Or to show some other trick. None of that sort happened and the silence did become just the slightest bit awkward.</p><p>Without taking his feet off the table Loki took one of the books in his hands and opened it. “Now tell me everything you know about that creature. Every little detail that your little mortal mind can think of.”</p><p>***</p><p>As it turned out Asgardians could go very long periods of time without sleep. Also, they could read insanely fast. So fast that even Stephen was vaguely impressed although he could muster up some speed quite himself. The limits of the human body were immensely frustrated, especially since Stephen’s unwillingness to show any kind of weakness was definitely superhuman. His eyelids were constantly growing heavier while Loki was casually flipping through pages. At least Loki had indeed taken his feet off the table a couple quite some time ago. Silence was reigning the room and Stephen was surprised that it could almost be described as pleasant. It told him to be on his guard. Stephen kept an eye on Loki constantly. Pretty much by the end of every page he glanced up to make sure Loki hadn’t pulled out a dagger to stab him.</p><p>None of that sort. It genuinely appeared like Loki was deeply immersed in his lecture. There was a small frown on his face, his expression was highly concentrated. Almost a bit much to take in.</p><p>Stephen wasn’t sure how long they had been sitting here, going through these books. Perhaps the number of hours was already in the double digits, Stephen would not be surprised. The problem was that by now Stephen was fighting a severe lack of sleep, but he would be damned if he let Loki see any sign of it. Some humiliations were too much to bear.</p><p>Once more Stephen tried to relocate every information about Thor that he had stored somewhere in his mind. How long of a time period had Stephen witnessed where Thor hadn’t eaten anything? Honest to God, Stephen didn’t have the hint of an idea. That ignorance was definitely due to the obvious fact that Thor was constantly stuffing his face with all kinds of foods. That Asgardian was devouring meat for pleasure not for sustenance. Thor’s sleeping schedule was also clouded in mystery.</p><p>It all came down to the fact that Stephen had no idea how long Loki could stay awake and continue working. The circumstances were entirely unfair, Loki hadn’t spent the last couple of weeks looking for a crazy person, completely exhausting himself.</p><p>Stephen had to stumble over something rather exciting between the lines of this book or he would have a very difficult job stopping himself from yawning.</p><p>Something did happen. It had nothing to do with the book though. He got proof that Loki did eat. If it was a physical need or fun was still up for debate. With his eyes still fixed on the book Loki lifted his hand and pulled a blood red apple out of nothing. As he bit into it Stephen felt wide awake.</p><p>A pocket dimension. Why hadn’t this come to his mind earlier? This was highly sophisticated magic, only exceptionally well trained people were capable of doing that and even then it took a shockingly big amount of concentration and magic. Loki made it look like he had merely picked up an apple from the table. What if he indeed didn’t carry the Tesseract on his body? A pocket dimension allowed instant access and it kept the stone safe. Stephen might just have found out where to find the Infinity Stones. At some point this could come in handy.</p><p>Stephen had to think about this a bit. After closing the book he let it drop onto the table top with a loud thumb. Loki did an amazing job at ignoring him. “I need to stretch my legs.”</p><p>Silence.</p><p>“Don’t worry, I will find my way around. I would just like to know where I am.”</p><p>Still Loki didn’t look up from his book. “An ancient world called Barīd<em>.</em> A little backwards in social norms, but with an extraordinary vast knowledge about all sorts of magic.”</p><p>Just great, a place that Stephen had never heard of. “I am going to catch some fresh air.”</p><p>He had barely taken one step on the hard stone floor when Loki spoke up once more. “And the people of Barīd consider their library sacred. Entering it without the permission of their shaman is an offence punished by death.”</p><p>Naturally. Stephen wasn’t even surprised.</p><p>“The very library we’re in, I assume.”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“Which is probably heavily guarded.”</p><p>“By complete brutes armed to their teeth. And one or two capable sorcerers.”</p><p>“Ready to kill anyone who defiled their holy library?”</p><p>“Most definitely.”</p><p>“Fantastic. I’ve always wanted to become a trespasser. How about you join me outside for a bit? Since you are royalty I will even walk five steps behind you, so the brutes armed to their teeth can greet you first.”</p><p>Perhaps Stephen’s eyes were playing a trick on him, but he thought he could see the corner of Loki’s mouth twitch, forming an involuntary smile. Did that mean Loki was capable of taking a joke at his own expense? Or was this just Stephen’s sleep deprivation talking?</p><p>Sitting back down Stephen became a little more confrontational. “Alright. No fresh air then. I wasn’t able to find anything until now. What about you?”</p><p>It felt like a little victory when Loki put down his book. “I am tempted to say that your lack of success is closely linked to your generally limited mental capacities as mortal… But I fear the Barīd hasn’t got such an extraordinary knowledge after all. We might be in need of a place that offers a little bit more.”</p><p>“I wonder where that might be since you so quickly dismissed of one of the finest mystic libraries in the entire universe.”</p><p>In response Loki snorted which sounded like the noise a little child would make. “I hope you are not referring to that pitiful chamber on Midgard that you call the centre of the Mystic Arts. Because that’s just… Well, deplorable.”</p><p>“It’s most definitely not.” Stephen snapped and Loki shrugged. “So you didn’t spend the last couple of weeks going through said deplorable place, trying to find a solution to your problem?”</p><p>Damn it. “Fine. Any suggestions where we might find a place that offers more knowledge?”</p><p>A new, much darker smile spread across Loki’s face. “Oh yes. I know just the place to go.”</p><p>Who needed sleep anyway? “Let’s go then.”</p><p>“In a second.” Loki crooked two fingers of his right hand and Stephen almost jumped out of his own skin when all the bookshelves on the right side of the room fell over and crashed to the floor. The answer to Stephen’s puzzled look was the left side of shelves also falling over and Loki’s smug remark. “What is the point of sneaking into a sacred library if nobody knows that you were there?”</p>
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<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Jilted lover</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>An early Christmas chapter! :D</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Although Loki had clearly stated that he was only in this for his own private entertainment he seemed to enjoy himself way more than even Stephen had anticipated. That genuinely almost boyish smile was a permanent addition to his face. It also was a completely new realization that it was possible for a grown man who had lived through at least two millennia could experience childlike joy by destroying a place that harboured knowledge and wisdom. Despite that blatant lust for vandalism Stephen didn’t doubt that Loki felt honest appreciation for education, literacy and most of all books. He just hadn’t felt it in that exact moment. Just a very small example of how fast the god’s mood could change. The same could be applied to his loyalties. Rather sooner than later Stephen would probably have to worry about that.</p><p>For now something else was at the top of his list. Getting out of here before anyone realised what had happened in here and killed them for it. With Loki it was hard to tell if getting caught wasn’t half the fun and Stephen wasn’t willing to waste any more time. “What place are you thinking of?”</p><p>“One where we will be even less welcome than here. Only the bravest, one might say the mad ones, might enter. Also, the last time I went there didn’t end too well. Pretty much everybody there should be eager to kill me.” Honestly, Loki couldn’t look any prouder and Stephen wasn’t a strong enough man to let that moment pass without a degrading comment. “Isn’t it lovely that you make friends everywhere you go?”</p><p>Unfazed Loki continued to smirk. “I am in the lucky and very cosy position that I do not need to friends, allies or acquaintances. It is indeed very comfortable to be able to handle anything that life might throw at you. Please do not think that I am trying to rub this in your face, but… Well, I kind of am.”</p><p>Something told Stephen had Loki probably was the lousiest winner at board games. “Can we get going? I think I’ve mentioned one or two times that I do not want to lose any more time.”</p><p>“Are you sure? I was going to give you a chance to breathe. Maybe close your eyes for a second. I thought you felt a little sleepy.”</p><p>“You cannot help yourself, you simply must try to pick a fight. It’s your thing, I get it. I am not going to bite. I don’t feel tired. I want to leave.”</p><p>Loki looked at him somewhat disappointed. “You are not that great of a liar, are you?”</p><p>This was a question that Stephen had no trouble answering. “Not really. I’ve spent my life telling people ugly truths that they don’t want to hear.” Therefore it was even odder that Loki hadn’t figured out his actual lie yet.</p><p>“That is just an elegant way to say that you like to insult people.”</p><p>Stephen shrugged in response. He could have easily explained that this was no longer the case, because Stephen was in no position to criticize anybody. Maybe except for Loki who was a dangerous maniac and therefore free game.</p><p>The lack of an answer seemingly bored Loki and he fulfilled Stephen’s wish. Again, a casual flick of his wrist. The portal didn’t offer much to see, it actually looked rather dark on the other end. There probably wasn’t much to worry about since Loki went straight ahead, unbothered if Stephen was going to follow him or not. Which he definitely did.</p><p>One look at his new surroundings told Stephen in the most obvious manner that this was going to end badly for both of them. Loki moved around like he owned the place and Stephen’s eyes uneasily darted from golden emblems to massive statues of men and women in tunics, holding books and looking like they had never laughed once in their entire life. Almost endearing.</p><p>“This is Asgard.” Stephen’s voice was breathy and tainted with a hint of disbelief. One of the few places he had thought he would never be able to go to. Even before its lamentable destruction Asgard had been off-limits. A place that had magic woven so deeply into its core that it couldn’t be accessed by all conventional ways of magic. Without the Bifrost all the entrances were blocked and Loki had brought them straight into its very heart. Thanks to the Tesseract. A key to an unlimited number of doors and if there wasn’t a door, it could create one.</p><p>“Yep.” Loki answered with the nonchalance that Stephen had come to expect from him by now. The mild disinterest that he displayed as he was moving around the room was almost offensive to Stephen. This place was as close to sacred as you could get for any magic user. It was only for his role in the reconstruction of the universe that Stephen hadn’t had the time to mourn the loss of knowledge after the end of Asgard. A sharp sting in Stephen’s chest wouldn’t let him get away with this thought. What kind of person would weep over the loss of books and words when people had died? His fault. Trying to distract himself from the suffocation guilt Stephen quickly turned his attention back to Loki. “Although I must admit that this a good place for our search… Isn’t this entire realm eager to have your head on a spike?”</p><p>“Most definitely.” Loki smiled in utter satisfaction. “If they ever want to get anywhere close to my head they will have to learn to move a lot faster. We will have enough time to go through everything that we need. It is more likely that you will fall asleep before any of guards will keep us company.”</p><p>Nothing could distract Stephen quicker than a jab at his pride. “I am not tired.”</p><p>Putting all of his smugness in one single grin Loki crossed his arms in front of his chest, not even thinking about getting to work. “There is no shame in owning one’s limitations. You are Midgardian, you cannot help being weak and fragile.”</p><p>A very big part of Stephen wanted to show Loki just how weak and fragile he was. Common sense though insisted that picking a fight with the carrier of two Infinity Stones was not a good idea. Especially not in Asgard. Loki was Stephen’s ticket to get out of here. Without him he would be stranded. They could start fighting when they were back in a realm where Stephen could create his own portals. For now Stephen ignored Loki’s provocations. “Anything I need to know about how this library is organised?”</p><p>If Loki was disappointed about Stephen not taking the bite, he didn’t let it show. “The All father’s personal collection of books about dark magic are over there. That’s always worth a look. Creatures of the nine realms over there.” Loki held out one hand and a black book from one of the shelf came flying at him.</p><p>Stephen swallowed a sigh and went to work. The pressure to finally make the important discovery and the weariness in his bones wouldn’t let Stephen marvel in awe at his surroundings. No time for silent appreciation as he picked up a leather-bound book. It felt heavy enough to crush somebody’s head in.</p><p>Not yet, Stephen still needed to get back home.</p><p>As it turned out Asgardians weren’t big fans of comfort. There weren’t any tables or chairs, just several lecterns where you could feel like a priest. Standing there, preaching to your community. Stephen’s feet were going to give him hell. The very second Stephen put the book down and opened it, Loki chimed back in to push his buttons. “Are you certain that you do not want to rest your eyes a little bit? It’s not like you can read any of it.”</p><p>This time Stephen didn’t feel the urge to ban Loki to the dark dimension. There was a way better method to shut him up. “Will you be quiet? I am trying to read the Encyclopaedia on winged creatures of Nidavellir. The noise you’re making is rather distracting.”</p><p>Despite keeping his gaze fixed on the book Stephen could see out of the corner of his eyes how Loki raised his head in surprise. Stephen wasn’t a strong enough man to hold back a smile. By the end of this alliance of convenience, which couldn’t come too soon, Stephen would have turned around all of Loki’s arrogant perceptions. He would have loved to hear Loki say something else, to voice his disbelief or to argue that Stephen should be able to make sense of this. Evidently though Loki was choking on the humble pie he had to eat. Good, that gave Stephen time to concentrate on finding the damned creature that had brought him here.</p><p>The encyclopaedia was bursting at the seams with knowledge and information on all types of creatures. Luckily whoever had written it thousands of years before had made the effort to illustrate every page with a drawing of the described creature. Drawings that were more detailed and precise than any photograph could have been. It was indeed a privilege to work with it. However Stephen had his eyes on the price, his way home and at every page that didn’t contain the thing that had brought him here, he felt his frustration grow.</p><p>It was only after quite some time that Loki started talking again. “It is not common for a Midgardian to be versed in the art of runes.”</p><p>Oh, was that still bothering Mr. Kneel in front of me because nobody is better than me? “I am not a common person.”</p><p>“Awfully full of yourself, aren’t you?”</p><p>“Do you actually hear yourself talk?”</p><p>“Oh, yes I do. I love the sound of it. I have a lovely voice. Eloquent choice of words. Pleasure to listen to. Don’t you think?”</p><p>Stephen rolled his eyes and stayed focused on his task. For Loki there wasn’t anything at stake. Sure, Stephen had told him that Thanos would eventually come for him, but it was rather easy to keep one’s cool when you were carrying around two Infinity Stones in your pocket. Unlike Loki Stephen wasn’t in the mood for a chat.</p><p>As more time passed Stephen felt his fatigue catch up to him and he seriously started worrying about how long he could keep up doing this. It was that very moment that Loki restarted the conversation. “Strange, are you familiar with this?”</p><p>Looking up Stephen saw a massive book float right in front of him, held up by this familiar black magic. His heart skipped a beat when he saw what Loki wanted to show him. For the first time in weeks Stephen got a glimpse of the creature that had put him here. Finally.</p><p>“Yes!” Almost greedily Stephen reached out and grabbed the book. He could hear Loki chuckle softly. “Midgardian eagerness. It never fails to amuse me.”</p><p>Ignoring Loki’s verbiage Stephen took in every word written on this page. His original enthusiasm quickly died down, it was swallowed by a big hole that opened up under his feet. That couldn’t be true. “This is the entity we were fighting. Black smoke, red edges. I am sure. It says nothing about any time travelling ability.”</p><p>“Because it doesn’t have this ability. Are you sure that it was this creature that send you here?”</p><p>“Yes, I am, because I was there when it happened. How is this possible?” This was the frustration talking. The wires in Stephen’s head were already turning, searching for the most plausible explanation. “A spell. It might have been a spell. Or… something else.”</p><p>“Something else.” Loki hummed. “What a sophisticated conclusion.”</p><p>Ignoring Loki’s spite Stephen continued to let his thoughts run wild. “Something happened to it. Changed its form and fabric. Just what could do that…”</p><p>“A lovely riddle. Almost intriguing. It could be fun trying to figure this out.” The smile on Loki’s face confirmed his words and suddenly Stephen didn’t feel like he would walk out on him any second now. “I suggest that…”</p><p>“Do not move!”</p><p>Stephen closed his eyes and sighed. Of course. It had only been a matter of time anyway. Loki’s lips formed a straight line in annoyance. “How rude…”</p><p>“You have entered this place without permission! Show yourself!”</p><p>It wasn’t quite panic, but Stephen entered a very uneasy state of mind. Under no circumstances could he let Loki kill these three guards. Yet he depended on Loki to get back. The Asgardian turned around to face them, a slight snarl on his face. “You are interrupting. This is not the way to treat your prince.”</p><p>Shock was visible on their faces and Stephen was sure that it had nothing to do with joy about seeing the long lost son of their monarch. Their staffs were pointed at Loki who ever so slightly raised his left hand before Stephen could even think about interfering. Loki’s magic rapidly moved towards the guards in form of black smoke. It entered their bodies through their eyes, ears and mouths. A feeling of dread was started to claim Stephen and he reached for his magic to stop Loki from whatever he was doing.</p><p>“Take a walk around the palace. Then go to the Allfather and tell him that Loki stole some of his most valued possessions. Oh and while you’re at it… call him an old man and a fool.”</p><p>In a trance like state the unlucky guards lowered their staffs, turned on their heels and left the library. Uttering a sigh of relief Stephen started to think that it was about time they disappeared. “What are you intending to steal?”</p><p>“I will just grab any one of these books. He will spend hours thinking about why exactly this one either way.”</p><p>Lovely. Impatiently Stephen watched how Loki randomly picked a book. That should have been it. Instead Loki remained where he was, his eyes darting slowly around the room. Pensively. Despite himself Stephen couldn’t help but feel a little bit intrigued. This appeared to be the first time that Loki actually took notice of his surroundings, taking the effort and time to look. This was his childhood home, even a cold bastard like Loki might be victim to some emotional attachment. “I wonder… don’t you miss the times when you could just walk in here? Instead of being obligated to sneak around and steal?”</p><p>“There has never been a time when I didn’t sneak around and steal.”</p><p>“Of course. You will have to forgive me for my silly assumptions.”</p><p>Turning back around to face him Loki slightly tilted his head. “What is going to happen to this place?”</p><p>Stephen froze. “What?”</p><p>“You’ve been wearing this expression from the very second we came here. Like you simply cannot believe that you are here. You are familiar with runes, you know Thor. Asgard should not be that impressive. What is going to happen?”</p><p>Was this the first time that Loki actively asked about a future event? Even though it was about time, his question did not revolve about what was going to happen to him. Stephen couldn’t make much sense out of that. “It’s going to burn.”</p><p>Even though Stephen didn’t doubt Loki’s abilities in disguising his own feelings and thoughts when he wanted to, he was certain that this was Loki’s honest reaction. It was terrifying. The corners of his mouth twitched, trying to form an involuntary smile. Hearing about the destruction of his home was giving him joy. For Stephen it was a cold shudder running down his spine.</p><p>“How fitting…” Loki clicking his tongue was a disturbing noise. “Surtur?”</p><p>Stephen nodded and played the thought of leaving it at that. Something about that small smirk though had him so wound up that he couldn’t take this step back. Was there a shred of hope that he would see a different reaction? A tiny little piece of decency. “Conjured by you.”</p><p>At this point Loki didn’t reply. There wasn’t a full smile playing around his lips, but he didn’t appear to be discontent. What had Stephen expected? Loki tearing at his hair and scratching his own eyes out after he had learned that he would bring doom upon the place where he had grown up? None of that happened. Of course not. It was Loki. Probably he wouldn’t even believe it if Stephen told him that he had burned down Asgard to save its inhabitants. At least according to Thor. Right now Stephen didn’t believe it himself. “We should go.”</p><p>“For once you are right.”</p><p>Via portal they returned to Earth. The Kamar-Taj to be exactly. Stephen shot Loki a confused glance which earned him a smirk. “That’s enough work for one day. We will catch up another time.”</p><p>“Wait. You’re not just going to fuck off. I want a way to contact you. I am not going to sit around a week or two until you decide you might drop by.”</p><p>“It’s not going to take that long. See you around.”</p><p>Just like that he was gone and Stephen swore. They had made insignificant progress, Mordo had probably riled the entire Kamar-Taj up against him by now and Stephen now had to figure out how to go on. Perhaps it would be a good idea to start by telling the Ancient One that he didn’t intent to run off into the sunset with Loki.</p><p>***</p><p>It was a downright miracle that Stephen managed to successfully plead his case. Granted, hearing all the reasons why he was working with Loki said out loud made him slightly sick himself. He was the only one powerful enough to help him at this point. Also, and this was where he had probably won the Ancient over, Stephen did have the intention of eventually revealing Loki off the two Infinity Stones. Yes, that plan was still very vague, but Stephen was willing to swear on his life that he would not let the Time Stone fall in Loki’s hands. It was partly his fault that Loki was on this fucked up power trip in this timeline and if Stephen could help it, it would not go on for much longer.</p><p>The Ancient One was appeased, thankfully she had never had a hard time telling if Stephen was sincere or not.</p><p>Mordo didn’t agree. Actually, he threw quite the fit. Pleading the Ancient One to be reasonable. That Stephen could not be trusted under no circumstances. Collaboration with Loki was the ultimate testament to his rotten character. Oddly enough it was once more Kaecilius that jumped at the chance to help Stephen out. “The Sorcerer Supreme is in a desperate situation. Unable to attend to his duties in his own timeline. Is it not understandable that he is ready to use desperate measures?”</p><p>“He is not the Sorcerer Supreme.” Mordo pressed the words through clenched teeth, they were spiced with aggression and something that sounded like lust for murder. Stephen couldn’t help but be silently impressed by Kaecilius’ casual shrug. “Not yet, but he will be and he deserves your respect. If not obedience.”</p><p>Stunned as if Kaecilius had hit him Mordo was struggling for something to say. Eventually he settled for a stammer. “You are mad.”</p><p>Before things could escalate Stephen decided to take himself out of the equation. “Listen, I do not want to cause any more disputes. I am more than grateful for your hospitality, but I am willing to leave at any moment if…”</p><p>“None of that sort. The Kamar-Taj will always be a safe refuge for Master Strange, but you must also understand that I cannot tolerate Loki’s presence within these walls. Should he appear again, he will answer his visit with hostility.”</p><p>Stephen nodded as he thanked the Ancient One. Fair enough.</p><p>***</p><p>In no way was Stephen just waiting around for Loki deeming him worthy of his attention. After all Stephen did now know what creature had damned him to this horrible episode of his life and he spent the next few days doing his own research. And he quickly got stuck in a dead-end.</p><p>Again one of these moments when Stephen thought that he was going to lose it. When he perfectly understood the temptation to gather all the magic at his disposal and use it to render something to ashes. Preferable an entire city. Absurd, slightly dangerous thoughts and Stephen wasn’t going to dwell on them. The walls of the Kamar-Taj were suffocating him, wrapping invisible hands around his throat and his own incompetence was finishing him off.</p><p>So Stephen fled, roaming around Kathmandu in a fruitless effort to clear his head. Eventually his feet and his portals led him down the same road again and Stephen found himself on the very top a skyscraper. The one that offered the best view at Stark Tower. Night had fallen hours ago and the penthouse was dark, hiding Stark from Stephen’s eyes. Perhaps he wasn’t even here. He could be in Malibu or out on a mission. There were hundreds of places where he could be.</p><p>Stephen simply needed to see him. Somehow he knew that he would only be able to calm down and to find a little peace tonight if he caught a glimpse of Tony Stark. It didn’t matter just how disastrous it had turned out to be last time. Therefore Stephen waited, in the faint hope that a light or some other kind of sign would tell him that Stark was home after all. Safe and sound.</p><p>The penthouse remained dark for the next couple of hours and Stephen began to fancy the idea of simply jumping off this building.</p><p>“What is it with you and Stark?”</p><p>Closing his eyes Stephen desperately asked himself which deity he had offended to deserve this. For the last days he had avidly waited for Loki to show himself and now that he did, Stephen wanted him burst into flames. “You have the worst timing.”</p><p>“Timing? You have been sitting here for hours.” Loki replied dismissively, arms crossed in front of his chest.</p><p>“It is none of your business what I do in my spare time.” Stephen hissed, ready to let his anger rain all over Loki. “What have you been doing during said hours? Watching me?”</p><p>“I’ve dropped by once or twice. Do not try to change the subject. This is not the first time you’ve been staring at his tower with eyes of a kicked dog and yet you refuse to take a single step inside of it. Why?” The curiosity on Loki’s face was definitely real and Stephen would rather crawl over broken glass than answer him.</p><p>Unfortunately Loki wasn’t the type of person who easily gave him. Maybe just as stubborn as Stephen. “It’s downright pathetic. You are acting like a jilted lover.” Loki laughed softly before suddenly turning serious again. Curiosity turned into intrigue. “Wait. Are you a jilted lover?”</p><p>The absurdity of it had Stephen flinch. God, he wished it would be that easy. That would clear his conscience rather quickly. “Don’t be ridiculous!”</p><p>“I don’t think it’s ridiculous. I hardly see any other explanation for your brooding.”</p><p>“I am not brooding!”</p><p>“So what is it then? I am helping you with your dilemma. The least you can do is give an explanation to what is going on here.” Intrigue was being replaced by smugness and Stephen swore, unable to stand this any longer. “It’s none of your business! Drop it, right now. We’re going to leave and you are going to stay away from him.”</p><p>On Loki’s face spread the slyest of smiles. “Oh, I wouldn’t dream of it, but I think you should get a lot closer.”</p><p>Stephen didn’t even have the time to curse Loki. The Asgardian pushed him, but instead of falling all the way down to the ground Stephen crashed to the hard-wooden floor of a room that lay in complete darkness. “That damned son of a…”</p><p>“Do not move a muscle. Who are you?”</p><p>Stephen looked up, right into the cold blue light of a repulsor aimed at him.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Don't move</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello everybody,</p><p>Stephen is in the tower now and has to deal with Tony. What's that going to be like?</p><p>Have fun</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was not quite the same. A different blue light but so similar to the one that Stephen had seen starting to fizzle and then eventually going out forever. Twice. First in his gruesome vision of the only future that promised half of the universe survival. The second time it hadn’t been an illusion. Unlike everybody else on the battlefield Stephen had already seen Tony Stark die. Just until right before that light had gone out forever it had all made sense. One life. One single life, no matter how of big, sparkling and overwhelming, against half of the universe. There was no math. Furthermore, Stephen had had this wonderful luxury that had allowed himself to wash his hands from even the last speck of guilt.</p><p>He had seen all the different futures, so many of them, filled with agony, misery, cruelty where death came as a sweet relief. There simply had been no other way. Stephen had seen all of them. No tool or spell to change this harsh reality had been in his or anybody’s arsenal. As a result Stephen had made a decision on Titan and had handed over the Time Stone. The Sorcerer Supreme had decided to which way to go save billions of lives. Who else would have been able to do it?</p><p>Now Stephen was almost looking back with nostalgia to those few short hours on Titan and the battle after he had been brought back. That fleeting window of time when he had experienced certainty, when Stephen had been sure that there was no alternative and therefore he was in the right.</p><p>Along with that light in Tony Stark’s chest Stephen’s peace of mind had forever vanished. At its first flicker Stephen had felt a weight settling on his chest. With the kid’s desperation had come the doubt. Yes, he had seen it before, but Stephen had not paid attention to anything but the result. A teenager’s mourning had been something so insignificant that it hadn’t even appeared on his radar. Emotions didn’t matter when half of all existing life was at stake. Especially not the negligible grief of a single person over another single life. In his vision Stephen hadn’t even noticed it.</p><p>When it actually had happened, the moment when the light had gone dark, Stephen had heard that choked-up whisper of a young man, not wanting to let go. Stephen had seen the tears and Stephen had stayed away, had kept his distance. Suddenly afraid that everybody was going to turn around, point their finger at him and call him what he was. The very man who had condemned this light to go out. Stephen had made that choice.</p><p>One year later, due to the most outrageous circumstances, Stephen found himself on his knees, staring up into a blue light, almost bordering on white. Not symbolising life but danger, threatening him. It wasn’t the promise of pain delivered by the repulsor though that kept him paralysed by fear. The weapon aimed at him was embedded in a metal glove. All Stephen had to do was raise his head, look up and he would see it. That blue light that no existed longer in Stephen’s time. Stephen could not do that. Not looking at him, hearing him, talking to him, being in the same room as him. The knowledge and guilt about what he had done to him was weighing to heavy and Stephen was lacking the courage to even try to not collapse underneath it.</p><p>Fleeing was the obvious way out. Stark wouldn’t fire at him without a reason. Stephen merely had to open another portal and he would be gone. A nightmare over and done with, time to go after Loki and make him pay for putting him through this. It was the obvious thing to do, it was what Stephen wanted to do. So why couldn’t he move?</p><p>“Who are you? How did you get in here?”</p><p>The voice was raspy, metallic and so definitely Stark. What was there for Stephen to say? State his name for Stark to know his future killer?</p><p>“Who are you?!”</p><p>Stephen flinched at the sudden shift of atmosphere in the room. He had to revise his first statement. The voice coming out of this metallic shell had nothing to with Stark. Or at least the person Stephen thought him to be. None of that arrogant swagger, the constant antagonizing or the blatant display of superiority. All these details that would let anybody recognize the famous Tony Stark had been replaced by something else. The metallic rasp could not hide the smallness of his voice. Nor how much it was shaking. It came as a sudden realisation that Stephen was not the only one feeling afraid. Confused, Stephen eventually raised his head after all. An inexpressive metal mask was staring back at him, but he could not betray what Stephen had heard. That didn’t mean he was able to understand. As much as he didn’t want to, they would have to have a conversation, Stephen needed to give some sort of explanation. As he tried to get up to his feet, the repulsor fired. In downright shock and disbelief Stephen glanced at the burn mark right next to him. Even for a warning shot that had been a little too close and Stephen had not expected it in the least. Despite his reckless reputation Stark was not particularly known for being trigger-happy.</p><p>“Wh-“</p><p>“I told you not to move!”</p><p>A panicked yell that had Stephen’s heart racing.</p><p>“Who are you? How did you get in here?”</p><p>It had Stephen think of someone pushed too far, confused and in such a state of terror that they might even register a helping hand as a sign of aggression. This was the impression Stephen was getting from Tony Stark at this very moment. Which made no sense. This simply wasn’t what Tony Stark was like.</p><p>Within a single instant Stephen was overcome by disgust for himself. They had been allies, not friends, barely an acquaintance. Most of what Stephen knew about him came from other sources. The media, actual friends and comrades or the heart wrenching grief of a teenager that could not be put into words.</p><p>What had happened?</p><p>“Stark, please, calm down. I…”</p><p>“Who are you?!” So close to a scream.</p><p>By slowly raising his hands Stephen tried to demonstrate that he wasn’t a threat. Any open display of matching might cause Stark to snap, but Stephen wasn’t going to risk that. “Okay…” He made his best effort to sound reassuring and non-threatening. A rather new experience for him. “My name is Stephen Strange. I am no threat.”</p><p>The bright light was still aimed at him. Of course his name hadn’t changed anything about the situation.</p><p>“How did you get in here? This place is supposed to be impenetrable.”</p><p>Stephen wanted to strategize, to pick his word carefully, but it seemed blatantly obvious that Stark would not give him the time to do that. No, the Iron Man would believe that Stephen was merely coming up with a story, trying to fool him. “Believe me, I didn’t come here on purpose.”</p><p>Another shot was fired and Stephen recoiled, hissing. Now he was starting to get angry, it did not matter that the beam had only hit the floor right in front of him. “Jesus Christ! Stop it! What is wrong with you?! I told you that I had no ill intent!”</p><p>No, Stephen had no right to be enraged, had no right to even a spark of anger. He hadn’t looked long enough, deeply enough and therefore had this man’s blood on his hands. Even if Stark decided to shoot him right in the face all Stephen had the right to do was to say ‘Thank you’.</p><p>“I do not know who you are, Strange. All I know is that there was an inexplicable energy source in this room and here you are. Are you working for SHIELD?”</p><p>Even the possible association with SHIELD sounded like something that would fill Stark with dread. Stephen took a quick breath, because at least one of them had to keep a clear head. “I can explain if you just gave me the opportunity to talk. The energy source was a portal. No, I do not work for SHIELD.”</p><p>“Portal? What kind of portal?”</p><p>Stark took a step closer, slightly curling the fingers of his hand, indicating that he would fire another shot at him. A clear threat. Somehow what Stephen deserved.</p><p>“It would take a long time to explain… For now let’s say it was magic. Look, you must have figured out by now that I am unarmed. May I get up, please? I didn’t walk through that portal on purpose. I didn’t even walk.”</p><p>His peace offering was met with deaf ears. “You’re breaking into my tower, throwing around words like ‘magic’ and you think… You stay where you are. You do not move.”</p><p>Stephen hated himself for feeling annoyed and losing his patience. This was not some incompetent intern or a new recruit trying to learn the mystic arts. This was Tony Stark. However, it should not be so hard to explain to him that Stephen was no immediate threat. Not for a long time.</p><p>Swallowing a sigh Stephen hold Stark’s gaze. He was only capable of doing that because Stark’s eyes were hidden beneath the helmet. Otherwise Stephen wasn’t sure if he were able to take it. “Damn it, Stark, I am not your enemy! I was having a fight with…” Stephen hesitated. Just one single mention of Loki’s name would ensure that Stephen had no chance building up a foundation of trust. No matter how fragile. “… a fellow sorcerer. He opened a portal, pushed me through it and I ended up here. I had no intention of disturbing your privacy. I apologize for that. I am going to leave and you forget about me being here. I will never trouble you again.”</p><p>This time Stephen indeed got up and got ready to create his own portal when he heard a suspicious click. What he saw rendered him speechless, this could not be happening. The shoulder parts of the Iron Man had slid away to reveal two guns. Stephen was by no means an expert, but he could tell that these weapons could fire a considerable amount of bullets in a single second. Which meant Stark had switched from the repulsors to deadly force. It made no sense, Stephen wasn’t even armed. Sure, he had thrown the word ‘sorcerer’ around, yet Stark was still faced with a man out of flesh and blood. This was not Stark’s style. Again something that was so severely wrong in this timeline. Slightly raising his hands once more Stephen couldn’t help but be his sardonic self. “Really, Stark? Guns?”</p><p>That voice was still shaking. “You came in here when that should not be possible and tell me that even more people can do that. You are going to stay here.”</p><p>“Aha. How long do you intent to make me your involuntary guest?”</p><p>“You’ll be SHIELD’s problem. Not mine.”</p><p>Stephen was far from a panic, but there was simply no way that he could let Stark do this. Those guys in suits had no business knowing about him or the Masters of the Mystics Arts. They would cause a lot of unneeded chaos and draw attention to an organisation that was acting in secrecy for a reason. Stark could not give them away. Especially not after Stephen had told him his name.</p><p>“Don’t call them.”</p><p>“It’s already happening.”</p><p>Not a single part of Stephen’s being wanted to do this. Unfortunately he was with his back against the wall. In one fluid and rapid motion Stephen created two energy discs and threw them at Stark. The result was a perfectly clean cut, both guns dropped to the floor. Rendered useless.</p><p>Startled Stark moved his head around and Stephen let out another sigh. “Can we please talk now? I am willing to talk to you. Not to SHIELD.”</p><p>There was no conversation, Stark launched at him. This time Stephen didn’t get the courtesy of a warning shot. Stark fired at him with the repulsors in both hands which Stephen blocked by conjuring a shield. No, he was not going to fight Tony Stark. Not going to happen. Stephen was going to end this as quickly as possible. Creating two long strings of golden magic Stephen threw them at Stark like a lasso. One of them wrapped itself arounds Stark’s ankles and with one forceful tug Stephen made him lose his balance and the armour fell to the ground with a loud clunk. The second string pulled Stark’s hands together to stop him from attacking Stephen again. While tasting an acid sickness in his mouth Stephen leaned over the other man. “I apologize for that. I really didn’t want to do that. I mean you no harm. I know that my appearance must be confusing and probably seems threatening, but that is not the case. I ask you not to bring SHIELD into this. I will gladly tell you everything you want to know and answer all of your questions.”</p><p>Stark didn’t answer which had an uneasy feeling sneaking up Stephen’s spine. Then out of a sudden the two lights in Stark’s helmet went out and Stephen went into an actual panic. “Stark? Stark!”</p><p>Leaning down Stephen was ready to rip the face plate off to make sure Stark was fine. It was right then and there when a sharp, searing pain spread over his entire back. The force of the impact and the intensity had Stephen fall over and crash to the floor. Groaning in agony Stephen unsuccessfully tried to suck in some air into his lungs after the fall had pressed all of it out of them. A biting smell entered his nose that Stephen knew all too well. From his time as a surgeon and from the battlefield. The scent of burned skin and garment. A new kind of pain that Stephen had not experienced yet and it was agonising. Propping himself up on his lower arms Stephen looked over his shoulder to find out what had happened to him.</p><p>There was Tony Stark. Dressed as something that could only be described as swat gear. One of his hands was covered with a gauntlet belonging to one of his suits. This clearly was what he had used to shoot Stephen with. Not with the gun in his right hand. Luckily Stephen’s brain was still capable of keeping up with the situation despite the searing pain.</p><p>Stark’s hands were shaking. His knuckles had turned white from the firmness of his grip. Stephen met the other’s eyes and it felt like a part of his soul was freezing over. Everything was wrong. Stephen had seen Tony Stark die. Twice. Stephen had seen his willing sacrifice during which Stark had been unafraid. Had done what he had thought he had to do with hesitation. None of that had happened yet, it was several years down the road and yet Stephen felt certain that this was not the same person.</p><p>With eyes unnaturally wide and filled with naked fear Stark was staring back at him. Perhaps that was right after all. This was how Stark should look at him, taken into account what Stephen would eventually do to him.</p><p>“I told you…” Stark’s voice was trembling like his hands. “… not to move.”</p><p>It dawned on Stephen that he wasn’t going to be able to talk Stark down. Maybe somebody else but not Stephen. This situation had gone south so badly that Stephen didn’t see it continuing in any other way than a fight. SHIELD was going to show up, Stephen was wounded. For now flight was the best solution.</p><p>“I am sorry.” Fortunately Stephen had enough wisdom to conjure a portal and a shield at the same time. Stark’s blast bounced of the shield and once more Stephen rather fell than walked through his portal which quickly closed behind him.</p><p>Lying on a hard surface Stephen now felt the pain more present than ever and the familiar voice behind him was sticking another knife in his back.</p><p>“Well…” Loki clicked his tongue and at least had the decency to not sound amused for once in his life. “That went down differently than I expected.”</p><p>A sensation took a hold of Stephen, something so potent that it easily overpowered the physical pain, the confusion and the permanent guilt. Before even making an attempt at standing up Stephen twisted his upper body around and threw raw magic at Loki. There was no grace or plan behind it. All Stephen wanted was to hurt him and he succeeded. The surprise attack had turned out to be perfectly effective. Loki’s head flung back as he was hit in the upper area of his chest. Bringing one hand up to his mouth Loki wiped away a trial of blood. He probably must have bitten himself by accident due the force of the attack. Sweet satisfaction sparked inside of Stephen’s chest.</p><p>Rolling his shoulders Loki licked his lips and let out a sigh. “I guess I deserved that one… which doesn't mean that I’m going to accept it.”</p><p>“What did you do that for?!” Stephen hissed at him and picked himself up from the ground.</p><p>Casually Loki dusted himself off, adjusting the sleeves of his coat. “I was tired of you just looking at him. Granted, I was under the misconception that you already knew each other.”</p><p>“What happened to him? Is this your doing?” Stephen yelled at the other sorcerer, completely guided by his anger now.</p><p>Loki shrugged. “I have neither seen Stark nor talked to him since I have first arrived on this world.”</p><p>Bewilderment was regaining its hold on Stephen. Nothing that Loki said made any sense. He was a liar after all. “Since the invasion? Your title as the god of lies isn’t justified. Are you trying to tell me that the Avengers haven’t fought you one single time since you tried to take over the planet?”</p><p>Quirking one eyebrow Loki hinted at shaking his head. “Stark is not part of Thor’s pathetic group of… warriors. As far as I know Stark hasn’t put on the iron armour in over a year.”</p><p>Stunned Stephen didn’t know what to say. How could have everything gone so wrong? The image of Stark wouldn’t leave his mind. Shaking, unsure of himself and so afraid. Such a striking contrast to Loki who was standing right here, the perfect symbol of casualness, perfectly healthy and powerful. It was driving Stephen mad. “You are responsible for this! Is this your revenge after your failed invasion?”</p><p>Exhaling in obvious annoyance Loki shot him an exasperated glance. “I did not do anything to that man. I have no need for revenge. I could crush all of them in the palm of my hand. He was at least entertaining to talk to, but I don’t think he has even left his little fortress in months.”</p><p>It was too much new information that Stephen couldn’t make sense of, his head was swimming and the pain eventually took its toll. Groaning softly Stephen supported himself on the railing surrounding the roof-deck. Out of the corner of his eyes he was Loki disappearing. It was too soon to feel relieved though, merely a second later he heard that damned voice right behind him. “This does not look too good. Some of the fabric of your shirt has been burned into your skin. It would have been a good time to wear that magnificent cloak of yours.”</p><p>“Shut your mouth.” Stephen was starting to feel dizzy.</p><p>“You are in need of medical attention. I am offering my help.”</p><p>Now Stephen knew that he was still able to laugh. “Thank you so much. I am returning to the Kamar-Taj.”</p><p>“That is the more reasonable thing to do. It will take time to heal though. I offer to speed things up. You are a source of entertainment which is so hard to come by.”</p><p>“Go to hell, Loki.”</p><p>“Theatrics… It’s your choice. See you around.”</p><p>Stephen could also feel Loki’s presence leaving the room, this time for good. Breathing through the pain Stephen conjured his way home and landed right in front of the feet of a puzzled Kaecilius. “Master Strange!”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Plan B</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello everybody,</p><p>Stephen is hurt, angry and trying to find out what is going on with Tony. Moreover, he is sick of Loki...</p><p>Have fun and tell me what you think :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I do feel a little surprised, I must admit.” Kaecilius drily remarked from where he was leaning against the wall. “Part of me expected you would rather seek you medical attention in a more western facility.”</p><p>In spite of the pain no longer being intense enough steal away his ability to speak Stephen restricted his own answer to a snort. The painkillers were doing their jobs, nevertheless Stephen preferred to move a little as possible while the master, who was responsible for all issues related to health and medicine, finished fixing his bandages. No sooner had he completed his task than he left the room. Now Kaecilius and Stephen were the only people remaining, the former gave no indication that he intended to leave Stephen to his own devices.</p><p>Ignoring the other’s presence Stephen tried to ever so slightly flex his back muscles. His stupidity was rewarded with a sharp flash of agony going through his body. Naturally his groan didn’t go by unnoticed. “I’ll be right back.”</p><p>Admittedly, Stephen was surprised that Kaecilius did leave after all, but it didn’t make any difference to Stephen at the moment. Thinking about it, he actually preferred to not have an audience as he was pathetically trying to put on his sweat jacket. Eventually his attempt was successful, but he refrained from closing it. By now Kaecilius had returned, a cup of tea in his hand that he offered to Stephen. “Here, it’s going to help.”</p><p>Despite his scepticism Stephen accepted the cup, quirking an eyebrow at Kaecilius. “What it’s in there?”</p><p>Smiling innocently, which threw Stephen off a bit, Kaecilius shrugged. “It’s completely natural.”</p><p>Stephen had heard that one before. “Is there THC in this?”</p><p>Kaecilius formed a very small gap with his thumb and index finger.</p><p>Putting the cup aside Stephen pulled a face. “Thank you, I’ll pass. I need to keep a clear head. I have to get to work.”</p><p>“You have to get some rest.” Kaecilius disagreed firmly. “You didn’t accidentally touch a hot plate. Those are some severe burns. Your ability to sit straight right now is due to a mix of painkillers and magic potions. That does not mean that your body doesn’t require rest to heal itself. You are a doctor, I should not be the one to tell you this.”</p><p>“Doctors are and have always been the worst patients. I guess I can be considered their king… Will you leave me alone when I tell you that I do not plan to get up? I need to do some research.”</p><p>Doubtfully and yet intrigued Kaecilius looked at him. “Research on what?”</p><p>Exhaling deeply Stephen resisted the urge to pull the jacket tighter around himself. “The person responsible for this.”</p><p>“So it wasn’t Loki.”</p><p>“No.” Stephen played the thought of not telling Kaecilius. He failed to see the point in it. Until now Kaecilius had proven himself to be his only trustworthy ally in this time line. A piece of information that was no longer able shock or amaze Stephen. It almost seemed fitting. “I had a run-in with Tony Stark…”</p><p>Kaecilius’ initial reaction was to blink, then his eyes grew a little wider than they were supposed to be. “What? How? That does not make any sense.”</p><p>“I know and now I need to find out why.”</p><p>“Wait, wait, wait.” Kaecilius raised one of his hands. “Where did you even meet Tony Stark? How did that happened?”</p><p>Something made click inside of Stephen’s head. Two pieced finally fitting together. It was not the fact that Stark had hurt Stephen that had Kaecilius stupefied. No, he was shocked that Tony Stark and Stephen had met. This revelation was capable of making Stephen forget about the burns. “I guess you should tell me a few things.”</p><p>“How convenient. I was just about to say the very same.”</p><p>They spent the next hour filling in all the holes for Stephen. Kaecilius shared what he knew with him and the rest was provided by the internet. By now the pain had definitely been pushed into the background. Instead Stephen was plagued by a dizzying sickness and headache that were in no way linked to his injuries. How could he have missed this the first time? What had these idiots done to simply change everything? Why was it so much worse?</p><p>All of last year’s online journals were filled with the same provoking and speculating headlines. Repetitive, always the same, but at least they could be summed up fairly easily. Tony Stark hasn’t made a public appearance since the invasion. Iron Man had completely dropped off the edge of the earth. Stephen tried his best and yet was unable to find a clue if the Iron Legion was out and about. It didn’t look like it.</p><p>“Is there… Has there been any clue what made him… stop being Iron Man?” In search of help Stephen looked at Kaecilius who had nothing to offer. “Not that I know of, but I must admit that I have closely followed this story. I assume he had a hard time recovering from the invasion.”</p><p>“I guess so, but…” There were no other words for it, Stephen was at a complete loss. What the internet told him corresponded all too well with the experience Stephen had made only a few hours ago. Nonetheless Stephen was unable to combine this new information with everything else that he knew about Tony Stark. “Everybody’s had a hard time recovering from the invasion. Believe me, I was still working at a hospital at that time. Stark was… Honestly, I have no idea how he was dealing with all of this, but I do know that this is just wrong.” Stephen gestured at himself and the sudden movement sent a shock of pain through his body that the medication couldn’t handle. Consequently Stephen hissed, his entire body tensed up which made matters worse. Instantly Kaecilius was by his side. Stephen had never quite understood why people were coming closer when they were trying to help you to get through an episode of actual, physical pain. As doctor this had driven him crazy, families' and friends' irritating need to touch patients.</p><p>“I am feeling silly saying this to a surgeon, but you have to take deep breaths. Slowly. Otherwise you will hurt yourself.”</p><p>A rather big part of Stephen longed to tell Kaecilius to screw off, because yes, he was indeed in a doctor. For this reason he also knew that Kaecilius was right. Closing his eyes Stephen focused on his breathing which did help him to get through this agonizing flash. Only by the time he could feel something else than the throbbing in his back Stephen realised that Kaecilius had put a hand on his lower arm.</p><p>“Are you feeling better?”</p><p>Not really, Stephen might as well just freak out. Until this very moment Stephen had believed that he had got used to Kaecilius’ presence. It was no longer the most bizarre thing imaginable to have Kaecilius around him without that murderous gleam in his eyes. Kaecilius touching him in way that was meant to reassure him though was on another level.</p><p>“No, I feel awful. Not because of the burns. I just can’t help but fuck up this man’s life. No matter under which circumstances…”</p><p>“Are you sure that your interventions are to blame for this?” Kaecilius, bless him, sounded doubtful. Unfortunately Kaecilius didn’t have the luxury of uncertainty. “Yes, I am… That’s the point where all went wrong. I have to find out what exactly happened…”</p><p>“For now all you need to do is to rest. This is a serious injury. There will still be time to figure this out tomorrow.”</p><p>“Actually no… I told him my name and he was about to call SHIELD. They are going to bother this time’s version of me. I can’t have that. It’s going to call attention to me. That’s going to change things even more. In a horrible way.”</p><p>Stephen’s dark predictions didn’t hold a candle to Kaecilius’ insistence. “Tonight there is nothing you can do. Tony Stark is involved, so things have already been set into motion. SHIELD will quickly discover that the other version of you was nowhere near Stark Tower.”</p><p>This did little to reassure Stephen. “Perhaps, but there is video footage of me at the tower.”</p><p>Kaecilius shrugged a bit nonchalantly. “Videos are easily to manipulate and besides that… people can easily be impersonated. SHIELD must be aware of the extent to which illusions can fool the human eye. There is a solution to this problem and tomorrow there will still be enough time to find it.”</p><p>More words of protest were lying on Stephen’s tongue which he ultimately didn’t dare to utter because Kaecilius’ gaze made clear that he was having none of it. Under normal circumstances Stephen would not have cared about anybody else’s input but his own. For now Stephen would blame the drugs, his weariness and the lingering pain. At the end of this conversation Stephen slipped into an uneasy sleep, worn down by the crushing knowledge that no matter what time, no matter what place, he was always going to bring misery over Tony Stark.</p><p>***</p><p>Waking up the next morning Stephen could instantly tell that the painkillers had worn off. After having spent the entire night on his stomach Stephen struggled to get out of bed and he wished he had indulged in the THC tea. Sitting in a chair only worked when Stephen kept his back completely straight and wouldn’t let it touch the backrest. It was getting better though which left him a lot more time to ponder what had happened the day before. How was he going to fix the mess he had made? By now SHIELD must have already knocked down his door. The other version of him.</p><p>Stark had proof of Stephen being there, but if SHIELD did their job right they would indeed find out that the surgeon Stephen Strange had never set foot in Stark’s tower. Too bad that any video footage of Stephen would show him using magic and SHIELD might be just stupid enough to assume that he actually could be at two places at the same time.</p><p>These thoughts wouldn’t leave Stephen’s mind as he brushed his teeth and had some tea instead of breakfast. He couldn’t have been awake for longer than half an hour when Kaecilius joined him in his room to see how he was doing.</p><p>“Better. Still not great though.”</p><p>It seemed good enough for Kaecilius who changed the topic. “I thought about your problem with SHIELD. We could come up with an elaborate way to use magic to find a solution, of course. I believe though that there is a much easier way.”</p><p>Intrigued and slightly hopeful Stephen urged him to keep talking. “What easier way?”</p><p>“A conversation with Tony Stark. No sneaking up on him or teleporting into his tower and scaring him. Instead you could go the old-fashioned way and call him. Explain what happened.”</p><p>“He is not going to want to talk to me. He was terrified… Besides that it’s not going to solve anything if SHIELD already is involved.”</p><p>“Perhaps, but don’t you think it might be easier to get control over the situation if you have that man on your side? He does have quite some influence, doesn’t he?”</p><p>There was undeniably some truth in what Kaecilius was saying, but as a plan of action it was nevertheless unacceptable for Stephen. For a very simple reason, he could not see himself going near Tony Stark again. The very idea of looking at him or talking on the phone was terrifying. “I cannot do that.”</p><p>“Why not?”</p><p>“It just isn’t an option.”</p><p>Kaecilius clearly wanted to know more, but Stephen was grateful that he didn’t press any further. “Then the best course of action would be to seek the help of a shapeshifter.”</p><p>Dry, casual, as if it was the most normal thing in the world. To propose that Stephen should turn to Loki. Downright ridiculous. Stephen wasn’t even going to acknowledge that suggestion. Out of principle. Loki was the only reason why he was in this mess. “I will figure out what to do about SHIELD… They do get easily distracted after all.”</p><p>Once again Kaecilius didn’t miss a beat. “Alright. What can I do?”</p><p>For no specific reason did the old spark of distrust flame up again. Stephen had seen how far Kaecilius could be pushed and what disastrous consequences that could entail. Was it wise to make him a part of Stephen’s plans? What if Stephen ended up releasing that destructive and all-consuming energy that he knew was slumbering in the other man? “Why are you so eager to help me?” he eventually asked, not quite able to ban all the distrust from his voice.</p><p>Either Kaecilius didn’t catch on or he didn’t mind, he replied in his usually sardonic tone. “You need it and what you do makes sense to me. Sometimes I find it hard to find meaning in at we do at the Kamar-Taj. I don’t find it hard to find meaning in what you do.”</p><p>Biting the inside of his cheek Stephen nodded. A part of him did believe Kaecilius and the other one told him that he was in no position to refuse any offer of support. “I could need a talented sorcerer in another endeavour. One inarguably more important.”</p><p>“I am listening.”</p><p>Stephen met his eyes and he let his determination speak. “The two of us will come up with a plan how to subdue and ultimately imprison the keeper of two Infinity Stones. I am not going to leave this timeline with so much power in this man’s hands.”</p><p>Out a sudden Kaecilius seemed to feel the gravity of the situation. Loki played in another league than Tony Stark. At least at this moment. That didn’t mean Kaecilius was shying away from the challenge though. “That’s going to be a tall order.”</p><p>“Yes, that’s why I cannot do it alone and believe me, it pains me to say that.”</p><p>A small, familiar smirk appeared on Kaecilius’ lips. “Who am I to refuse then?”</p><p>***</p><p>There were quite a lot of things that Stephen despised. Bad cover versions of perfectly wonderful songs for example. People who kept insisting that got better with age and didn’t realise that it would eventually drop in quality like every other consumable good. Moments when you were stuck on a train or in a waiting room with another person that did not mind that complete strangers could listen in on their private phone conversation. He would not be exerting himself by continuing this list, it was indeed rather long. Regardless of its length and some very specific points on it, number one was undisputed. Stephen loathing feeling stupid.</p><p>Granted, this happened very rarely, because Stephen did possess an impressive intellect that was superior to most people he had ever crossed paths with. Taken into account his extraordinary memory and keen perception, Stephen was always a force to be reckoned with. Maybe that was the exactly the reason why it was so hard to handle when Stephen had a little moment when he wasn’t the fastest in the room to catch on.</p><p>Almost an entire day was lost contemplating different ways how to get his other version out of the dilemma Stephen had dragged him into. Only then had an idea popped into his head. It had been so obvious that Stephen indulged in quite some self-loathing for not seeing it immediate. He would have to go on a little trip.</p><p>For once luck seemed to be on his side, because Thor was at home and Jane Foster let Stephen enter the house without as much as batting an eyelid. He even got offered coffee. Apart from the hot beverage the mood wasn’t particularly welcoming. Stephen couldn’t help himself but watch Thor over the edge of his coffee cup. In all honesty, it was impossible to decide which differences were harder to take in, to accept. Kaecilius or Thor. One so much softer, controlled and now perfectly reasonable. Thor on the contrary… all softness and melancholy was gone. Now there were only rough edges and hard eyes. Didn’t mean they weren’t attentive though.</p><p>“How did you get hurt?” Thor asked matter-of-factly and Stephen did his very best not to flinch. Pretending seemed rather useless now. “How do you know?”</p><p>The shadow of a nostalgic smile became visible on Thor’s face. “I am very familiar with all kinds of injuries. I am even more familiar with trying to hide these injuries. I can tell by the way you move. What happened?”</p><p>Today Stephen was applying a different strategy which could be attributed to him being a lot more desperate now. “I had a run-in with your brother the other day. He did not cause the injury himself, but he was responsible for it.”</p><p>Instantly every faint hint of that smile disappeared. “That sounds like Loki. I hope you retaliated.”</p><p>“Unfortunately not. I was caught off guard. That is also the reason why I am here. As much as it is against my nature I need to ask you a favour.”</p><p>Thor frowned, but indicated him to keep talking. Stephen gave a little summary of his situation, still sticking to the lie of being from another dimension. What he did admit to was seeking out Loki’s help to get home which Thor clearly didn’t appreciate if the loud thunder outside was any indication. Stephen went into a bit more detail about the encounter with Stark. The rolling thunder subsided and Thor seemed a bit uncomfortable. By the end of Stephen’s report he was shaking his head. “This should be a warning to you. Every bargain with Loki has horrendous consequences for everyone involved. Apart from him, of course.”</p><p>“I figured.” Stephen sighed. The last thing he needed and wanted was Thor lecturing him about what he should or should not do. “Here is where I need your help. Your brother’s little… stunt has drawn attention to me… this reality’s version of me. I cannot have that. Is there any chance you could talk to Stark about me? That I am not a threat and I cannot have SHIELD look too much into me. This reality’s version of me doesn’t even have my powers yet. It could screw up my entire life if they don’t leave me alone. Could you do that for me? One conversation, which is all I am asking for.”</p><p>Thor’s sigh didn’t inspire a lot of confidence in Stephen. “It has been months since I have last talked to Stark.”</p><p>Well shit.</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>The gesture Thor made with his hands was probably supposed to tell Stephen that he had no idea. “I am afraid I am not able to answer that question. Though a formidable warrior Stark abandoned his armour and his brothers in arms shortly after we had defeated Loki. To this very day he has not given the Avengers an adequate explanation.”</p><p>Behind them Jane Foster huffed softly, catching Stephen’s attention. “I don’t think that the man owes anybody an explanation. The carried a nuke through a wormhole. Everybody understands perfectly well if he has no desire whatsoever to do that again.”</p><p>Stephen could hardly argue that she was wrong about that if it wasn’t for the fact that Stark had done it again. So much more than that even.</p><p>Unlike Stephen Thor had no difficulty disagreeing with her. “A man who once willingly sacrificed his life will not hesitate to do it again.”</p><p>A sudden sickness was threatening to overcome Stephen. Either passing out or throwing up, that was what it felt like. Much to his benefit both Jane and Thor remained oblivious to his discomfort.</p><p>“I am not going to challenge your view on heroism. I have no intention to do that, but you completely disregard that the man suffered a heart attack right after the invasion ended. You told me about it.” Jane’s voice became a little lower. “Perhaps he is just not able to keep up the fight.”</p><p>Something about that notion seemed to confuse Thor. “Then why doesn’t he say so? There is no shame in being wounded in battle.”</p><p>“I don’t know. Maybe it was something to do with that idea that once a man has done something selfless and heroic, he is obligated to do it over and over again. Like he hasn’t the right to live a normal life and let somebody else be the hero.”</p><p>Not a single word of this poignant message was directed at Stephen and yet it felt like they had been drafted with the sole intention of hitting him like merciless fists. Over and over again.</p><p>A right to live a normal life. Or to live at all. If every hero, every person, had that right, then the plea of half the universe to die for them was worth exactly nothing. Nothing at all. A single, meaningless voice that the wind could easily carry away.</p><p>Except that Stark had answered that call and now it seemed that even the time before that fateful event was spoiled. Stephen was the one to carry the blame. The urge to leave this place, to leave this version of Thor who had nothing in common with the one he knew, became overwhelming. It was tearing on Stephen’s limbs, trying to push him out of this room, out of his house.</p><p>By quickly clearing his throat Stephen tried to avoid a continuation of this conversation. “Could you do that? Talk to him for me? He can contact me at any time and I will gladly explain everything that has happened. On his terms.” Stephen slid a little slice of paper across the table. On it he had written down the number of the prepaid phone that he got a few days ago.</p><p>Thor nodded, opened his mouth to say something else, but Stephen had to flee. There was only so much that he could take and now he had reached his limit. “I am very grateful for your help, son of Odin.”</p><p>Stephen was about to create a portal and make a run for it when Jane Foster walked over to the table, a concerned look on her face. “Are you okay?”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“You are very pale. Almost as if you had seen a ghost.”</p><p>Not just one, Stephen had seen several ghosts. Kaecilius. Loki. Tony Stark. They were all ghosts, but only one of them was hunting him. Quickly searching for an excuse Stephen managed to say what was most obvious. “My injury is attacking up.”</p><p>Thor’s expression darkened and Stephen thought that he could hear the distant thunder again. “It pains me to say that I am partly responsible for that. I still haven’t brought Loki to justice.”</p><p>There was a little spark in Stephen’s chest. Perhaps he could stay just a little longer. “That is another thing that we should talk about. Your brother.”</p><p>Where the mere mention of Loki had brought soft melancholy to the other Thor’s eyes, this one’s features turned to stone. “What about him?”</p><p>“I have tried everything that I can think of to find a way back home on my own. Despite my best efforts I am still stuck. I have turned to your brother for help because he is versed in the arts of magic and more importantly… the Infinity Stones have granted him access to power that surpasses mine by far.”</p><p>Saying those words almost hurt more than the burns and Thor clearly had no appreciation for them. “You are a fool if you believe my brother will help you. He only has his own best interest at heart. He can see your dilemma and need, so he toys with you. It’s foolish.”</p><p>“Actually, he has agreed to help him. I gave him an incentive. Besides, he is doing it for his own entertainment. I figure he is bored. What I mean to say…” Stephen took a breath. “I fully intent to take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself to get home, but I have no intention of leaving with your brother still roaming around freely.”</p><p>Thor replied drily that he was going to take care of Loki.</p><p>Stephen snorted, “Really? And how are you going to do that?”</p><p>“By fighting him and beating him. I have done it before. Then he will be brought before Asgardian Justice.”</p><p>Was this naivety or just stubbornness? “That is not going to happen. Things have changed. You are no longer able to simply beat him in a fight. Do you even understand what the Tesseract and the sceptre have turned him into? Loki is one of the most powerful in the entire universe. Your hammer alone has no chance against him.”</p><p>“What are you saying, sorcerer?”</p><p>“I am saying that I want to work together to make sure that we can rid your brother of the Infinity Stones and make sure he ends up in a prison cell.”</p><p>***</p><p>“You know I have heard people say that there is dignity in suffering. I think that is stupid.”</p><p>Stephen looked up to see Loki casually leaning against the railing, the wind was playing with this hair and the edges of his cloak.</p><p>One theory tested and confirmed. If Stephen just waited long enough on this roof, Loki would eventually show up. Sure, it had taken almost three and a half hours, but here he was. Smiling and looking so smug because he felt that there was nothing in this universe that could harm him. Well, he was in for a surprise.</p><p>“I’d rather suffer than let you even take a look at my injuries.”</p><p>“So noble.” Loki sarcastically put a hand over his heart. “Then why are you here?”</p><p>“We have work to do.” Stephen said simply. “Also I want an apology.”</p><p>Genuinely confused Loki quirked an eyebrow. “What for?”</p><p>That nerve. “You pushed me through a portal and I got injured because of it!”</p><p>Loki exhaled, clearly in annoyance. “I offered to treat your wounds. You refused. My compassion ends right there.”</p><p>“You’re such a jerk.”</p><p>“And you are quite boring today. My time is better spent somewhere else.”</p><p>Yes, perfect.</p><p>Stephen’s eyes were glued to Loki’s hands as the latter opened a portal and disappeared. Always wearing those black gloves. No sign of the Tesseract with he needed to create these portals. Even it was in a pocket dimension Loki had to someone access its power. First Stephen needed to be absolutely sure where Loki kept the stones, only then could he come up with way how to take them away from him. Another project to work on. Stephen would be damned if he left this timeline behind in this chaotic state</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Gateway</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello everybody, </p><p>Stephen is trying to get some peace, but of course that doesn't work out :)</p><p>Have fun!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“This is kind of nice.” Stephen somewhat reluctantly muttered when it got increasingly difficult to keep up his petty demeanour. When Kaecilius had suggested that they should get out of the Kamar-Taj and Nepal Stephen had pulled a face because his surroundings had the least bit of influence on his current state of being. Nevertheless, Stephen had allowed himself to be talked into it and now they were sitting on a bench next to the Danube, both a beer in their hands. Bless the countries that had no restrictions on drinking in public. The soft sunrays were pleasantly tickling his skin and Stephen enjoyed the soft scent of flowers and freshly cut grass in the air. Although this was as close to relaxation as he had been in a rather long time, a part of Stephen was feeling terribly nostalgic for his garden. Was there a chance that somebody was taking care of it during his absence? Wong maybe?</p><p>“Be careful. You might just start enjoying yourself.” Kaecilius was doing a bad job at suppressing a chuckle and Stephen was at same amused and weirded out. Two emotions that Kaecilius evoked in him with shocking ease. At the moment amusement seemed to have the edge. It was a little odd to not be under constant tension. Stolen time, of course, Stephen was very aware of that, but he was willing to go with it for now. He was sick of feeling like shit. Moreover it was nice to spend a few short hours not racking his brain how to get home again or how to relieve Loki of one or two Infinity Stones. The bad conscience and regret was already on the horizon, but Stephen was going to deal with that later.</p><p>Funny, only a couple of weeks ago that kind of attitude would have been inacceptable for him. The alternate timeline had finally worn him down. Stephen was even too tired to worry about that.</p><p>“I wouldn’t quite call it enjoyment. Rather an adequate way to pass time.” Stephen stated calmly, taking a sip from his beer.</p><p>Kaecilius answered with a shrug. The sight of him was something that Stephen still had to come to terms with. Relaxed features and posture, wearing jeans and a black sweatshirt. It was shocking how normal he looked. Almost unthreatening. Stephen tried to imagine him in an ordinary civilian life only to find out that he was incapable of making Kaecilius fit in there. How much time had they spent together until now trying to figure out Stephen’s problems? Which were admittedly huge and potentially universe altering. However, when had Stephen ever made the attempt to have a normal conversation? Great, more for his bad conscience to torment him over.</p><p>“Is this what you would do to relax in your spare time? Before the Kamar-Taj?”</p><p>His question made the corners of Kaecilius’ mouth twitch before he uttered a small but genuine laugh. “Not really. Beer was reserved for guys’ night out or watching football games.”</p><p>“That sounds shockingly average.”</p><p>Once again Kaecilius shrugged. “I had other ways to let off steam.”</p><p>“That does sound more interesting. Care to elaborate?”</p><p>“You’re going to laugh.”</p><p>Stephen arched an eyebrow. “Would you care?”</p><p>“Not really. No.”</p><p>Nudging him with the tip of his shoe Stephen persisted. “Go on. Tell me. I have trouble imaging you outside of the Kamar-Taj. I know we’re outside of it right now, but you know what I mean.”</p><p>“I guess so.” Smiling Kaecilius nodded. “Alright. I used to dance. Besides work and family that was the main thing I did. To relax. For fun.”</p><p>Narrowing his eyes at Kaecilius Stephen shook his head. “I cannot see that. At all.”</p><p>“Oh, you would be surprised. I was good. Like really good.”</p><p>“With a partner.”</p><p>“With a partner. Alone. Different styles. As a teenager I used to do a lot of ballet. I never really stopped. It was part of my workout routine and sometimes just for enjoyment. I am a dancer. Was a dancer. What about you? What did you do when you weren’t in an operating room?”</p><p>Stephen couldn’t think of an easier question to answer. “Preparing for the next surgery. I spent all my time in the operation room.”</p><p>“That is literally impossible. Come on, I told you.”</p><p>With wistfulness Stephen thought back to his apartment and the gorgeous grand piano near the panorama windows. “Music. My place was stuffed with vinyl records, CDs, everything you can think of. I had playlists for the operating room, for cooking, for lounging on the couch, which rarely happened. There was always music. When I really needed to unwind I played the piano. I miss doing that actually. Sometimes I want nothing more than to sit down and play Gymnopédies Number 1. Over and over again. Then Hungarian Rhapsody Number 6 just to show off. Eventually Wonderwall just for the sake of it. That would be a great afternoon.”</p><p>Both of them remained silent for a moment which only made Stephen understand how real his longing for this musical instrument was.</p><p>“You still could play, couldn’t you?” Kaecilius wanted to know. “With enough magic concentrated in your hands?”</p><p>“I guess so, but there would nothing left for anything else. I chose to become Sorcerer Supreme. That demands the full extent of my powers. You could still dance though.”</p><p>A hint of sadness appeared on Kaecilius’ face as he shook his head. “It’s no longer the same. At least there’s still beer.”</p><p>“Right.”</p><p>They clinked their bottles and settled back into pleasant silence. It was nice, but a good slow song from the 70s would still be an improvement.</p><p>“How about we get something to eat?”</p><p>Stephen quickly agreed to Kaecilius suggestion. Unfortunately they didn’t get further than standing up from their bench when there was the familiar sound of a portal opening up right next to them. For a second Stephen was completely ready to engage in a fight with Loki, only to realise that a master of the mystic arts had created this one. Nonetheless it was a horrible sign since there had to be a dramatic reason for Mordo creating a portal in broad daylight in a public space. “We have a situation. We need you to come back.” His eyes darted to Stephen and he almost seemed to choke on these words. Stephen wasn’t going to warrant that with a reaction.</p><p>On their way back to the Kamar-Taj Kaecilius asked what had happened and Mordo’s mouth became a thin line. “We are not quite sure yet.”</p><p>Truth to be told it came as a downright shock when this problem wasn’t related to Loki. At least there was a chance. Mordo brought them up to date as they walked through a new portal that brought them “An unidentified source of energy appeared on our radar. Two of our masters went to investigate it. Only one came back.”</p><p>This explained my Stephen’s presence was still being tolerated. A situation possibly server enough for Mordo to accept the help of person that he didn’t trust. Stephen was under no illusion though, every single one of his steps and gestures was going to be monitored and analysed in detail. There was no doubt on his mind that if he should step out of line for even a second, Mordo would let him know in the most unpleasant way.</p><p>The location they ended up in was unexpected and resembled by no means any place that Stephen would want to spend a lot of time at. Actually he was instantly overcome with such a strong feeling of dislike that every tiny little hair on his skin stood up. “This is an amusement park.”</p><p>Despite of the direness of the situation Kaecilius cracked a small smile. “Do you enjoy pointing out the obvious?”</p><p>Stephen preferred not to answer and instead pulled a face. At least night had already fallen in this part of the world which resulted in a completely empty facility. Comfortable silence. That definitely had been one of the best parts about being a surgeon. Most of the time the person he had been operating on had been completely sedated.</p><p>They walked just a few more steps until Mordo suddenly stopped, in the middle of the cobbled path that led up to a rollercoaster. Looking around Stephen couldn’t make out anything of interest or suspicious. “I don’t see it. What is it?”</p><p>Remaining silent Mordo picked up an empty soft drink can that was lying right next to a trashcan. Obviously the cleaning staff in this place was not up to par.</p><p>“Pay attention.” Seemingly carelessly Mordo threw the can and Stephen and Kaecilius got to witness how it never hit the ground. It merely disappeared in mid-air. Stephen was unable to prevent himself from feeling a short rush of excitement. Finally a mystical problem that was in no way related to him. A few weeks ago he probably would have been up in arms and would have cursed that another thing came his way to distract him from his goal. From what he had to do. Now Stephen was welcoming every opportunity to think about something else with open arms. Perhaps Stephen was just having an especially good day. “I assume the master unknowingly walked into it?”</p><p>All that Mordo gave for an answer was a short nod.</p><p>“Any idea yet what it could be?” Slowly Kaecilius came closer but still keeping a safe distance to the spot where the can had vanished. “A force field? A portal? Or just a plain but destructive spell?”</p><p>Much as Stephen would prefer anything to a portal, he had to admit that it was the best option for the person who had preceded the can. The mere mention of a gateway though made Stephen and everyone else think of a person that Stephen would love to keep off his mind for as long as possible.</p><p>Evidently Mordo didn’t share that sentiment. “No way to tell without getting closer. The can could be somewhere else or disintegrated. I figured you might have a valuable opinion to add.”</p><p>That challenge was directed at Stephen because there was evidently no hope of Mordo ever warming up to him in this timeline. How fortunately for Stephen that absolutely nothing came to his mind that he could care even less about. What did matter to him at this exact moment was the disappearance of the can and all the possibilities linked to it. While normally not averse to some banter or even insults Stephen felt no inkling to go down that route. Instead he followed Kaecilius’ example and approached the spot where they had lost sight of the can.</p><p>Trying to block out the presence of the two other sorcerers Stephen kept his eyes fixed at what was right in front of him. Which was nothing but thin air. Magic was at play here, this fact had already been established, but weren’t it for Stephen had already seen, he would not have been able to tell. No tingle or soft vibe floating around them. This place’s energy appeared to be completely neutral like any other spot on this planet. Interchangeable. Remembering what Mordo had told them Stephen turned back around, voicing the obvious question. “A surge of energy was the reason you came here. What energy? I am not able to detect anything.”</p><p>By now it had become an established fact that Kaecilius was always quick to support him and this was no exception to the rule. “Neither am I.”</p><p>With immense displeasure Stephen made out more than a hint of smugness on Mordo’s face. It seemed to slowly become intrinsic. “The Ancient One detected it and sent us to investigate. Apparently one Sorcerer Supreme does not equal another.”</p><p>Something dark and nasty began to stir inside of Stephen’s ribcage. At the back of his throat spiteful words were forming. With truth to them which made them even worse. Of course the Ancient One had a few tricks up her sleeve that Stephen could only dream of. Unlike her Stephen couldn’t fall back on a thousand years of experience and harvested energy from the dark dimension. The words couldn’t leave his mouth because he refused to screw up this timeline even more. Although it had already been twisted beyond recognition.</p><p>As it turned out there was no need for Stephen to say anything. Kaecilius was perfectly capable of drawing his own conclusions and they made him angry. “So she knew that there was something here, something that we cannot even detect and she just sent the two of you?”</p><p>It didn’t take more to make the smugness on Mordo’s face disappear. Just like the can. “And who do you think you are to criticize the Ancient One’s methods, Master Kaecilius?”</p><p>“I don’t see much of a method to criticize here.”</p><p>For a second Stephen forgot all about the issue at hand and a shiver was running down his spine. Kaecilius hadn’t raised his voice, he didn’t bare his teeth or changed his posture to look more threatening. None of that. Kaecilius had never had to rely on any of these optics to strike fear in anybody’s heart. Stephen in particular.</p><p>Determination, deception and such all-consuming anger at the entire world had made Kaecilius this terrifying menace that could not be reasoned with. Right now Stephen had merely seen a hint, a distant reminder of that rage in Kaecilius’ eyes and it was scary. So very much unlike Stephen Mordo had not a clue what Kaecilius was capable of when pushed too far. Stephen was sure that not even the Ancient One was aware of it. Therefore Mordo obviously would not see any reason not to provoke him further. Before Mordo could say anything else Stephen cleared his throat, gesturing at the nothing in front of him. “We should concentrate on the task at end. We’re still missing another master. Time is of the essence. We need to find out what we’re dealing with.”</p><p>Fortunately Stephen’s attempt at distracting Mordo from Kaecilius was successful “Agreed. How are we going to do that?”</p><p>Rather simply. “Like this.” Stephen formed loose strings of magic then wrapped the fingers of his right hand around them. “Let’s see what’s going to happen.” Throwing them like a lasso Stephen felt a sudden anxiety about how this might turn out. His eyes were fixed on the ends of the strings as they touched some visible point and then went straight through it. For a second Stephen actually thought of an optical illusion. The strings were still pumping with potent magic in his hand and he could still see half of their entire length while the other one seemed to be gone. It was still there though, Stephen could feel it. Which left only one logical explanation.</p><p>“It is a portal.” Kaecilius let out a soft breath, taking another step closer.</p><p>“Don’t.” Stephen let his magic dissolve and retreated. “We still don’t know where it leads. It doesn’t look like any portal I’ve ever seen. Something is wrong about it.”</p><p>Finally the three of them seemed able to have a conversation without snapping at each other. Even Mordo was joining in. “We have to send something through to find out if it is safe to walk through. Something that we can pull back.”</p><p>“Yes, but we definitely have to find out who put it there. It cannot just be an ordinary portal…”</p><p>That was all it took for the hostilities to resurge. Stephen didn’t think that anybody could sound more condescending than Mordo at the moment. “Are you serious? It is rather obvious who is responsible for this.”</p><p>While Kaecilius merely quirked an eyebrow Stephen actually needed a moment to catch on. “You think that Loki did this?”</p><p>“It is a portal.” Mordo stated drily. “He is in possession of the Tesseract. To not make a connection would be foolish. I don’t care if you are offended by the idea of your friend having something to do with this.”</p><p>“Firstly, he is not my friend. Secondly, this doesn’t look like any portal he’s ever created. Thirdly… I don’t know.”</p><p>“You’ve just said yourself that it’s unlike any other portal. He has the Tesseract. He can create any type of portal that he wants.”</p><p>Begrudgingly Stephen had to admit that this was a good point. That didn’t mean he understood why Loki would create a gateway in a random amusement park. It was a possibility though. Stephen was so sick of having Loki around much as he needed him. “Alright… he could have something to do with it, but since it’s impossible to track him down, we’ll need to find out everything that we can on our own.”</p><p>“That might take so much longer than what your pathetic lifespans have to offer.”</p><p>All three of them span around to see Loki walk through one more portal. The ones Stephen was seeing quite often nowadays, where you could actually see where you are going or coming from. Stephen made no effort to not roll his eyes. Yes, he was indeed sick of Loki’s face.</p><p>Mordo immediately went into battle position and Stephen groaned. Loki shortly glanced at Mordo, huffed in genuine amusement and then walked past him.</p><p>“So you are indeed responsible for this.” Stephen remarked dryly and Loki made a noise that sounded like him choking back laughter. “Naturally. You are confronted with something that surpasses your tiny mental abilities, so immediately blame the most powerful being that you know. Quite understandable when I think about it.”</p><p>“Whatever you did, you need to reverse it.” Mordo demanded and Loki generously ignored him, stopping right in front of the invisible portal without ever having seen any indication of where it might be.</p><p>Gnawing on the inside of his cheek Stephen couldn’t fight the feeling that something was off. Or not as easy as he first had thought this was going to be. “What are you doing here, Loki?”</p><p>Loki didn’t look at him, but at least he gave an answer. “A form of magic so particular that even you could sense it. I was worlds away and felt drawn to it.”</p><p>Stephen and Kaecilius exchanged a confused glance and Loki couldn’t care less. Raising his arms he let his hands hoover in the air, Stephen supposed they were mere inches away from the actual portal. It was right then when Stephen’s confusion turned into something else that he couldn’t quite name.</p><p>Loki wasn’t doing anything or at least it looked like it. To Mordo it had to almost feel like a personal insult when Loki closed his eyes. They were not considered a threat, not in the very least. Right now Stephen didn’t give a damn about that. To Stephen there was only one thing that mattered at this moment. He wanted to know, to understand what Loki was doing. Could he actually feel the energy this portal was giving off? Was he able to interact with it? Completely transfixed Stephen watched Loki’s face, not even knowing what he was looking for.</p><p>The slight changes didn’t go by unbeknownst to him. Around Loki’s eyes the lines softened, his lips formed a smile so small that Loki couldn’t be aware of it himself. His expression made Stephen think of a person who was asleep and dreaming.</p><p>With odd fascination Stephen came to the realisation that Loki was experiencing honest joy. A feeling of satisfaction that had nothing to do with wallowing in his belief of being superior to everybody else or causing others to be miserable. Curling his fingers Loki slowly tilted his head and whispered “This is glorious.”</p><p>Drawn closer Stephen wanted to be part of this. He wanted to understand what exactly Loki was experiencing. “What? What is it?”</p><p>Opening his eyes again Loki turned to look at Stephen. “A beautiful abnormality.”</p><p>Not understanding what was going on almost had Stephen up in arms. “What is that supposed to mean?”</p><p>“For once I can’t fault you for your ignorance. It is an event so rare even an Asgardian would be lucky to witness it during his lifetime. This is merely a harbinger. Accidental. Fleeting.” Loki stopped, weighing the last word carefully on his tongue before wrapping his lips around it. “Gorgeous.”</p><p>Stephen came closer, intrigued beyond reason. “Where does it lead to?”</p><p>“Could be anywhere. Absolutely anywhere.” Loki muttered, almost in awe with made no sense because he was the carrier of the Tesseract. Being able to go anywhere was everyday life to him.</p><p>There were so many more questions that Stephen wanted to ask to make sense of this, but before he could some of the answers began dawning on him. Something that he had read, something else that he heard and the clues Loki had just given him. “It’s the Convergence, isn’t it?”</p><p>His realisation clearly surprised Loki. “Who would have thought? Maybe you aren’t a lost cause after all.”</p><p>Stephen was too caught up in this new information to start another battle of words with Loki. In his head Stephen went over all the different dates that he knew about, information he had gained at the Sanctorum, other things that he had been told about. “That does not make sense. It’s too soon.”</p><p>Abruptly Loki lowered his arms, his attention now completely diverted from the portal. The honour had gone to Stephen. “What do you know about the Convergence?”</p><p>He simply had to be kidding Stephen. “Oh, now you are suddenly interested in what I might have to say about the future? I might just tell you if you help us out. It took our friend somewhere from where he cannot get back although he can create his own portals. So where might that be?”</p><p>The honest and somewhat pure contentment that Loki had worn on his face had vanished and Stephen painfully noticed its absence. To him it almost seemed like he was dealing with two different people. He clearly preferred one over the other.</p><p>“Your portals.” Another patronizing smile. “The ones you create with your fancy rings.” Loki was wiggling his fingers and Stephen wondered if he ever took those gloves off. “How far can they actually take you? Isn’t the lot of you completely lost once you leave the surface of this tiny planet?”</p><p>By now Stephen should have learned to not let himself be provoked by the Asgardian, but Loki was most likely to react to a challenge. “I am not.” He stated coldly.</p><p>Raising his chin ever so slightly Loki stopped smiling. “Then why don’t you go and get him? This door will not stay open for much longer.”</p><p>Stephen wanted to bite his lips because he was already well aware of how this was going to end. “Can you tell where it leads?”</p><p>“Yes.” Loki replied casually. “But why does the destination matter? You can back from anywhere, can’t you?”</p><p>No, as a matter of fact Stephen couldn’t. Not like Loki. He had been able to do it from Titan and he was certain that he could cover even greater distances, but there was a limit to what he could do. The Convergence might indeed have brought the master to a place that was out of Stephen reach. It wasn’t like he had much of a choice though, since Loki wasn’t going to lift a finger for them.</p><p>Screw it.</p><p>“Stay here.” Stephen told Mordo and Kaecilius before taking another step across the visible barrier. He thought he could hear Kaecilius shouting something after him, but then he was already worlds away.</p><p>Stone. All around him. A wasteland made of rocks. Stephen didn’t have a clue where he was. Which wasn’t that important since all he had to do was to leave again. Luckily the master had been smart enough to not move away from where he had entered this world. Stephen quickly exchanged the necessary words with him. He was fine, the portal was one-way, he had indeed been unable to create his own way back. He had tried, but it felt like a huge wooden gate that was impossible to push open. Wonderful.</p><p>“Let’s hope I am going to be a little luckier.”</p><p>“Luck’s got nothing to do with it.” Of course Loki had followed him and was now just standing there. “Don’t mind me. I am a mere observer.”</p><p>Cursing him under his breath Stephen started to concentrate and began trying to open the pathway back. It felt indeed like he had his palms flatly pressed against an enormous gate and it would not budge. Throwing his entire body against it didn’t seem to help. A battering ram would come in really handy.</p><p>Sweat was beginning to run down his temples when Stephen put more and more force into his attempt. The sensation of Loki’s eyes on him didn’t help. Exertion became more intense, Stephen felt the strain all over his body. He had to get this done. There was no alternative. Under no circumstances would Stephen humiliate himself and bag Loki to hold the door open for him. Stephen would rather listen to have to listen to Eurodance for the rest of his life which would probably end up in suicide.</p><p>Gritting his teeth Stephen pressed harder to the point where it was painful. Then the gate gave in. It was a pure feeling of bliss when Stephen saw the portal materialise itself. Then it took a superhuman effort not to turn to Loki and voice a loud “Ha!”</p><p>Loki had already disappeared and back on Earth Kaecilius informed him that the portal created by the Convergence had also vanished. What a great way to end the day.</p><p>***</p><p>“If you are trying to sneak up on me, you still have a lot to learn.” Loki didn’t bother to turn around, he remained standing right in front of the new small fissure between the world caused by the upcoming Convergence that had taken Stephen almost two days to locate. Hard work payed off since Loki was here as Stephen had hoped. As painfully as it was to admit that.</p><p>“I am not.” That was all Stephen said. He preferred watching the other one. Again Loki was trailing his fingers along the visible portal. Almost as if he was interacting with it. Honestly Stephen thought it was mostly admiration and it was such a nice change to see Loki not being dismissive of something. “Have you figured it out yet when it is going happen?”</p><p>Turning his head Loki had him questionably. “I can make an educated guess. Four months?”</p><p>“Close enough.” Stephen nodded and Loki smirked, refocusing on whatever he was doing.</p><p>Slowly coming closer Stephen thought about how he was supposed to play this. With Loki there was no way of telling how this might go. Inside of Stephen’s mind there was still the image of Loki’s expression when he had seen the first sign of the Convergence. Perhaps he knew how to do this after all.</p><p>“I am surprised you even care about it. With the Tesseract you can go anywhere you want all the time.”</p><p>Loki huffed, almost offended. “It is more than just the worlds aligning to form a gateway. The fabric between them and reality gets altered. A highly skilled individual could shape it any way they want it to. Also…” Loki paused, his gloved fingers drawing invisible patterns in the air. “… it’s breathtakingly beautiful.”</p><p>This honest appreciation had Stephen almost confused. It felt so strange coming from Loki. Stephen wasn’t used to sharing his opinion. “Yes, it is. Will be. You are right about something else too. A lot of doors are going to open and somebody with enough skill might even be capable of deciding which ones these are going to be. Doors that have never been opened before.”</p><p>Loki chuckled in soft amusement. An almost pretty sound. “Doors to another timeline you mean?”</p><p>“Yes, that’s exactly what I mean. It would be incredibly hard to do though. Most would call it inconceivable. Only somebody with sheer limitless ability could actually do it.”</p><p>“What? Are you trying to convince me to do it just to prove that I could do it?”</p><p>“Oh please. What we are talking about here is on another level. I know that you cannot do, I cannot do it either. Together though me might have a shot. Moreover I know that you want to do it. Just to show that you can.”</p><p>Stephen met his eyes and suddenly he had the impression that Loki was genuinely looking for him for the very first time. Tightly holding on to his pokerface Stephen ignored the nervousness gnawing at him.</p><p>“Alright, Sorcerer Supreme. Let us mess with the fabric of reality itself. Even you should be unable to not enjoy yourself while doing that.”</p>
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<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Square One</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello everybody, </p><p>I know it took a while, but here we go. Loki and Stephen start having something like an actual conversation... Wow. </p><p>Have fun!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>To say that after their little agreement events had followed each other in rapid succession was an understatement. It fairly easy to make the assumption that Loki had been eaten up by boredom during the short amount of time that Stephen had shunned his presence. How else could his almost amicable acceptance of Stephen in his home be explained? To be completely honest Stephen had no clue why he was referring to this luxurious and ample penthouse as Loki’s home. It rather obviously was somebody else’s dwelling that Loki had seized for himself for the time being. Understandably it was still contrary to Stephen’s nature to leave such a fact uncommented. So he didn’t.</p><p>“What happened to the poor soul who actually lives here?” Stephen asked somewhat absently as he took in the view of the city from one of the enormous windows.</p><p>“Business trip.” Loki pointed out matter-of-factly. “I was nice enough to agree to take care of this humble abode during his absence.”</p><p>Humble abode. Even during his time as a world-renowned surgeon Stephen would never been able to afford this place and he had made a ridiculous amount of money. It was hardly a surprise that Loki had gone for something like this. Tasteless and without a doubt immoral, but it was the least of Stephen’s worries as long as Loki hadn’t actually harmed the rightful owner.</p><p>Evidently the penthouse had already undergone a few changes. Stephen highly doubted that whoever lived here was in possession of books about magic that were piling up all over the living room. Loki was graciously disregarding them as he settled down on the couch, a glass of wine in hand. His legs were crossed, posture relaxed but nevertheless elegant. “So, Doctor Strange… Sorcerer Supreme, it’s high time you told me everything that you know about the Convergence. Finally a tale that I might end up enjoying.”</p><p>The better part of Stephen instantly protested. It was instinct to refuse to give anything up to Loki, least of all precious information. Stephen would have to overcome that if anything fruitful was to come from this cooperation. Nevertheless he had to act with the utmost caution. “I fear I might not possess information that you couldn’t easily look up in the Asgardian libraries.”</p><p>“The timing and implications, of course, but I am not talking about that.” Loki made a dismissive gesture. “I am interested in what happened. Details. You do like to go on about your different timeline. Go ahead, here’s your opportunity.” Loki took a sip from his wine, looking at Stephen expectantly.</p><p>“I hadn’t picked up sorcery yet when it happened. Middle of November 2013. It was tied to many tragic events and a disastrous fight that can easily be avoided. Will be avoided. The course of events has already changed with neither you nor Thor being in Asgard. The number of portals opening up will greatly increase in the upcoming months.”</p><p>With a spark of intrigue in his eyes Loki leaned forward. “Where? The portals usually tend to pop up in increased number in one specific area.”</p><p>Stephen hesitated. One of these portals had created a pathway that had led directly to an Infinity Stone. For now he didn’t have a plan for what he was going to do about that, expect making sure that Loki would never learn about its hiding place. “England. London to be precise.”</p><p>Loki hummed, licking his lips. “Can I make a guess? I suppose some entity with insufficient magical abilities wanted to take advantage of the tunnel connecting the worlds to destroy them all. That’s what always happens. I am almost tempted to admire the lack creativity.”</p><p>“You are not wrong. What we intent to do is proof of much greater imagination.”</p><p>With great generosity Loki ignored Stephen’s sarcastic intonation. “Indeed. I am very curious to hear your suggestions about how you are going to pull off this seemingly impossible endeavour.”</p><p>“This is going to be a team effort, Loki. I am not going to pull anything off alone.”</p><p>Smiling at him Loki bore all his perfectly white teeth. “Oh, I am not talking about the Convergence.”</p><p>Inside Stephen’s head all alarm bells started ringing. “Then what are you referring to?”</p><p>Weighing the glass in his hand Loki sank deeper into the cushions of the couch. Once more he was having a fantastic time. “I am wondering if you already have a plan ready in the back of your mind. How to get rid of me. The great Sorcerer Supreme, under no circumstances can he leave this timeline when I will have acquired knowledge how to push open the door to said timeline. Neither am I stupid, nor blind. I am well aware that you have no intention of simply disappearing and leaving me to my devices. I am already feeling so excited about finding out what you are going to try to do. What are you going to come up with to neutralise me? I am looking forward to it.”</p><p>Stephen’s throat was slightly constricting. Loki figuring out something rather obvious didn’t come as a huge surprise. However, Stephen’s task was going to be quite a lot harder if Loki was anticipating an eventual attack. Luckily Loki was too busy wallowing in his own arrogance to consider Stephen an actual threat which he definitely was going to use for his advantage. Why keep up pretending? Both of them were adults, highly advanced in the art of sorcery and they both had experience up their sleeves that were worth several life times. More importantly though they both knew what the other one thought of them. This was truce, established for a common goal. There was much more at stake for Stephen than for Loki who was only looking for entertainment. Sheer limitless power didn’t just call forth hubris but also boredom. Fine, Stephen didn’t mind putting all of his cards on the table.</p><p>“You seem to have every confidence in your ability to overcome whatever I might throw at you.” Stephen stated slowly, carefully watching Loki so he wouldn’t miss even the tiniest of reactions. Not that Loki was trying to hide anything. His smug smile was as present as ever. “That’s because you are very much out of your depth and you know it. Your pride just makes it hard to accept. You will get over it. Eventually.”</p><p>This collaboration was going to cost Stephen a lot more than just his sanity. At least he knew that by the end of it Loki would be taken care of. Stephen would come up with a way to build a lasting change for him, regardless of the amount of work that Stephen would have to put in it. It was for a noble cause after all and it would grant Stephen some personal satisfaction. “Hubris has already been your downfall once. The invasion, your quest for the throne of this world crumbled and turned into dust as a result of your arrogance. Therefore you probably should consider not lecturing me about it.”</p><p>With displaying the utmost casualness Loki took another sip from the red wine. Without any rush Loki put down the glass, his tongue wetting his lips before his entire attention focused on Stephen. Although Loki had looked at him many a time before, his gaze now provoked a different reaction. For some inexplicable reason that Stephen couldn’t wrap his head around Loki’s eyes had become a lot more piercing, capable of drilling holes. Suddenly Stephen felt naked in that sense that all flesh had been stripped from his bones. As if Loki was examining his thoughts, determinations, fears and all the other things that Stephen was desperately trying to hide. Evidently Stephen was in luck. A person as self-absorbed and indulged in narcissism wasn’t capable of glancing at another person’s soul, they were preoccupied getting lost in their own reflection.</p><p>“Look at me.” Loki demanded smoothly without any pressure. “Take a good look and don’t get distracted by superficialities.”</p><p>Despite his own reluctance Stephen felt intrigued and tempted to comply. Very much unlike Loki Stephen didn’t lack the ability to take a step back and to take in everything about another’s appearance. To try and look beyond the obvious and what they wanted you to see.</p><p>There was no doubt about what Loki wanted him to see. An open, almost unhinged display of what slumbered beneath the surface. A less skilled sorcerer than Stephen wouldn’t have been able to spot any of it. To him it was anything but imperceptible. The untamed magic running through Loki veins. Pervasive and so intense that it couldn’t be entirely kept within its vessel. Some of it was floating in the air surrounding looking, altering it. Invisible and somewhat familiar to Stephen. It was thoroughly Loki’s and yet it didn’t belong to him. No, that wasn’t right, it didn’t belong to him, but that hadn’t always been the case. It had come from somewhere else.</p><p>Locking eyes with Loki Stephen witnessed how the green orbs turned black and his lips stretched into a wide grin. That was the look of a man drunk on power and relishing it. “Now… will you tell me again that this invasion didn’t work out perfectly for me?”</p><p>Stephen had been a fool for crossing the Maximoff twins of his list. Hydra would never have the chance to equip them with powers stolen from the mind stone in this timeline. However, that didn’t rule out that the current keeper hadn’t used it for his own purposes. What made times infinitely worse was that Loki knew what he was doing while Hydra scientists had merely got lucky after meddling with forces beyond their comprehension. Stephen dreaded to think just how much power from it Loki had absorbed and how good he had become at mastering it. So, technically yes, from Loki’s point of view everything had worked out decently. No throne but all the tools that he needed should he ever feel like conquering one.</p><p>“I think you should be careful. There is no power fierce enough that cannot be brought down by arrogance. Believe me, I do know what I am talking about.”</p><p>Gradually black turned back into green and the smile on Loki’s face became less biting. “That comparison isn’t worth anything. I am tired of this discussion though. I am now ready to hear how you are planning to use the Convergence to open a door that will lead you back home.”</p><p>Never had a change of topic been more welcomed. Otherwise Stephen would seriously be running the risk of snapping at Loki. Being the organised person that he was, Stephen felt much more at ease whenever he was planning ahead. In this case it was rather simple. “Nothing has changed about the initial plan. We are still dependent on the time stone if we want to have any chance of transforming one of the portals. Before even thinking about doing anything of that sort, we have to get it. Therefore time is of the essence.”</p><p>By now Loki had finally finished his drink, holding the glass loosely between his glove-clad fingers. It was hard to think of a moment when Stephen had seen as relaxed a person as Loki. Like there was nothing between heaven and hell that could upset him just ever so slightly. With said astounding ease Loki shook his head, smiling contently. “That is not going to happen.”</p><p>Stephen flexed his fingers. The urge to punch somebody in the face was so primal and primitive, something that Stephen should have evolved out of a long time ago. Loki was reawakening it so easily when. “That’s the only way it’s going to work. It’s going to be risky, a tall order, but necessary. Together we are perfectly acquiring it.”</p><p>“Stealing it right out of Thanos’ grip? What an ambitious quest and so thoroughly unnecessary. I don’t see any need for the time stone. It would render the entire undertaking completely effortless. What’s the challenge in that?”</p><p>For a fleeting moment Stephen was speechless. At which point did arrogance turn into sheer insanity? “I am going to ignore the fact that you just suggested we seek to do this without the help of the time stone. Just the idea of doing this by only using magic is absurd. Preposterous. Aren’t you supposed to be smarter than this?”</p><p>“There it is. You are starting to feel worried. Unlike you I do not need to walk through this portal. I want to know if it can be done. By only using magic. Skills, craftsmanship, intricate sorcery. Do you doubt that our united effort will not be enough to achieve this?”</p><p>By now Loki was merely teasing him, having fun at his expense and Stephen felt it harder and harder to remind him of how much he needed Loki for any of this to go right. What he was dealing with here was overconfidence of an unprecedented level. “Do you even know what this would entail? Before we could even start working on a portal we would have to start from scratch and learn how to manipulate time by no other means than our innate magic. Only then could we even think about trying to apply it to a portal. That process would take an exceeding amount of time… If it’s even possible which I doubt.”</p><p>Loki had the nerve to quirk an eyebrow and smirk at him. “That’s what so exciting about it. I have honestly know idea if we will be able to do it and that’s exactly why we are going to do it this way.”</p><p>Stephen hadn’t had an emotional outburst since he had been 21 and in college. The mere stupidity of his fellow students had almost driven him to madness. This was worse. His and so many other lives were at stake and Loki considered it a game. “Are you insane? Wait, don’t answer that, you obviously are. You want to do something undoable because it’s fun. You have the opportunity to talk to somebody from the future and ask what is going to happen to you and although you know that you are going to die you don’t bother to ask. You are mad.”</p><p>Taken by surprise Stephen noticed how Loki’s demeanour changed. Almost as if he was finally taking Stephen seriously. “Why? Tell me, Sorcerer Supreme, why just I ask you any question? So you can tell me falsehoods? I am well aware that there is no hint of trust in this relationship. From either side. Or I simply do not care for what you have to say. Our interests align, be grateful for that. Now do you want to discuss something that leads nowhere or can we start working on something that will take months to perfect?”</p><p>“Months? You mean decades!”</p><p>Smirking Loki shrugged. “For you maybe.”</p><p>Fantastic, now he was trying to goat him into it. Stephen was already ready to humiliate himself. “Why is it so hard for you to be reasonable? The time stone is capable of altering time in a matter of seconds.”</p><p>“I am aware. That’s why we are not going to use it.”</p><p>Much as Stephen would have loved to accuse Loki of being scared of Thanos, he could somehow tell that Loki was indeed chasing the thrill of a challenge. To expand his abilities, to learn and thrive. Under different circumstances Stephen even might have appreciated that. Not so when his own life depended on it while for Loki it was only sport. The realisation was painful, but Stephen figured that there was no way of talking Loki into doing what he wanted. Loki would refuse as a matter of principal. Closing his eyes Stephen allowed himself a moment of weakness and inwardly cursed Loki. He told himself that the end justifies the means.</p><p>“Okay. It’s not like I have much of a choice, isn’t it? Obviously your method of doing things is the only one acceptable.” Stephen muttered drily and Loki grinned contently. “Marvellous. That demands for a toast. Serve yourself.” Loki nodded in the direction of the liquor cabinet. Right, Stephen would rather be caught dead than to clink glasses with this manic. “There is no time for indulgence. You want to do the impossible, fine. Then we have to start working right now. No delays.”</p><p>“Oh dear.” Loki replied with fake shock. “So determined at first that he was not going to do this and now the Sorcerer Supreme is complaining that things do not move quickly enough for him. Fine. Have it your way. I am unable to deny that time is of the essence.”</p><p>The colossal pressure they were under only affected Stephen whereas Loki remained the perfect paradigm of relief and relaxation. At least it was no tall order to motivate him to get to work.</p><p>“Finally something that we can agree on.” With a lazy gesture of his hand Loki made the empty wine glass disappear and then got up from the couch. “I guess we are in need of proper surroundings for our training exercises. If the great Sorcerer Supreme may allow me to evoke a little change of scenery?”</p><p>The nature of this question was obviously rhetorical, Stephen didn’t get a say in it. What he did get was to witness a fascinating display of so thoroughly sophisticated magic that it almost deprived him of his ability to breathe. Seemingly Loki didn’t do much more than to hold his arms and to curl his fingers. However, Stephen knew better and the changes became visible within seconds. The walls, the floor, the beautiful windows, the entire room began shifting, turning into something else. Loki conjuring up images had no novelty to it. Except for the blatant fact that this was no illusion. Looking around while trying to keep of any expression of awe off his face Stephen saw how this luxurious apartment changed into a large empty room with a wooden floor and beautifully ornamented walls. Reaching out with his own magic Stephen had no difficulty in telling that this was indeed a different place, Loki didn’t merely alter their surroundings. That certainty bore so many implications, some of them were horrifying. They hadn’t moved. Neither of them had taken a single step and nevertheless they had been transported to a different place without a portal. One thing was for sure, Loki had taken advantage of last year to perfectly familiarise himself with the powers that the Tesseract harboured. To actually harness and yield them was an achievement that Stephen hadn’t thought him capable of.</p><p>Not for the first time did Stephen feel a somewhat bewildering mix of intense emotions. Overwhelming concern and professional intrigue paired with curiosity which was just as strong. One part of Stephen had grasped the reality of the situation and it was simple. That amount of power in Loki’s hands was hazardous for every living being that he could ever come in contact with. The other part was marvelling at what he was able to do and the striking skill he was doing it with. Within him grew the urge to engage with Loki in an actual conversation without accusations or hostility. To find out what else he could do, how he had acquired some of these skills and if there was some actual passion involved in it. Was magic merely a means to an end or did Loki see the beauty in the craft. Stephen was almost tempted to think so because a certain level of skill could only be reached if you cared about what you were doing. Under no circumstances was Stephen going to let it show. He abhorred the idea that Loki could gain any kind of satisfaction from having done something that quite literally took Stephen’s breath away.</p><p>Considering Stephen’s streak of bad luck it came as no surprise that his façade crumbled right in front of Loki who was the sheer embodiment of smugness. “May I ask a question? Isn’t it excruciatingly tiring to continuously act like you’re not impressed? Is it really worth the effort?”</p><p>By now their surroundings had seemingly solidified, they most definitely were in another place than mere seconds ago. It was also the place that Stephen surrounded and decided to kick his pride into the bin. Only for now and for no other reason than needing to find out as much as possible about Loki to eventually take him out. Yes, Stephen was going to ask. However, he was also going to ensure that Loki would gain as little pleasure from it as possible. Therefore it was crucial to keep a straight face and his voice even. Not a hint of the anticipation that he was feeling.</p><p>“Alright, I will do you the favour and bite.” It cost Stephen some serious effort not to grind his jaw. “How did you do this? The Tesseract opens portals. Any physical entity is still required to step through it. Neither of that happened right now. How did you do it?”</p><p>“That is a very limited view of the Tesseract’s capabilities. I am almost disappointed to hear you say something like that.” Loki openly mocked him and Stephen forced himself to continue. “I have seen the Tesseract being used before. Nothing like this.”</p><p>Dismissively Loki crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Evidently you are not referring to me.”</p><p>This was going to be a low blow but who else but Loki deserved that sort of treatment? “No, it was somebody with a more advanced skillset. Thanos.”</p><p>If Stephen had expected an emotional outburst or a sudden surge of anger, he was severely disappointed. What he did get though was slightly annoyance. Stephen was tempted to stay that Loki took slight offence to his statement. He was wrinkling his nose and rolled his eyes. “This comparison is preposterous.”</p><p>“How so? He dedicated his life to using the stones.”</p><p>Loki seemed to be walking the line between amused and offended, it was hard to tell which side he would land on. “You are embarrassing yourself, Sorcerer Supreme. Intending to avail yourself of something doesn’t mean that you are going to be successful. Thanos was no idea of what the stones are actually capable of.”</p><p>The memory of the haunting sensation of being eradicated from existence overcame Stephen with sudden force and he hated Loki for never having had to experience something similar. “He knows better what the stones can do than anybody else.”</p><p>This bold truth didn’t have the slightest effect on Loki, he even huffed indignantly. “He certainly does not. That brute giant does not have a mere inkling of what can be achieved when you can call just a single one of them yours.”</p><p>“Believe me, he has a very good idea of what can be achieved with them.”</p><p>Finally Stephen was rewarded with a genuine reaction. Utter disdain was etching on Loki’s face. “Because he sees them as mere tools. Not bothering to actually <em>look</em> at them. Or listen to them. There is all this graceful energy, unlimited, waiting, wanting to be formed, tamed, expended upon and the best his tiny mind can up with is using them as a hammer.”</p><p>The double meaning didn’t escape Stephen’s notice, however, he was way more intrigued by something else Loki had said. “What do you mean by ‘listen to them’?”</p><p>The disdain faded away and Loki smiled at him. “You carried the Time Stone, didn’t you? You must have heard it.”</p><p>“I have no idea what you are talking about.”</p><p>“I am talking about the fact that it is arrant foolishness to assume that such boundless and advanced power can exist without some kind of consciousness. They have a will of their own. They can despise the person who yields them or be fond of them. When you engage with them they will offer you so much more than what any idiot could scratch of the surface.”</p><p>Stephen’s mind slowly wrapped itself around every new piece of information given and he wanted more of it. Thoughts about getting to work were abandoned in favour of learning more this completely new approach that Loki was advocating for. Until this very day Stephen hadn’t thought of the stones like that. As entities of their own. Loki could be messing with him, but Stephen doubted that. His little reactions and intonations were a testament to his honesty. If this was indeed case then Stephen needed to know everything about it, soak up every little detail, figure out the mechanics and come to an actual understanding of it. How could this even be? So many books written about the stones, warnings of their uncontainable force they could unleash and yet no single mention of what Loki had just told him.</p><p>Had he discovered something that nobody before him had been capable of doing? The feat would be so extraordinary that Stephen couldn’t even feel bitter about Loki being the one who had done it. No, instead there was still the hint of a sense of awe. “Are you communicating with it?” That question itself was so full of wonder.</p><p>“In a way.” Loki replied softly. “We’re getting along rather well. It came to me after all.”</p><p>Stephen could have said that Loki coming into possession of the Tesseract had been a mere coincidence. Not that it would have made much of a difference. “And what about the Mind Stone? That one definitely didn’t come to you.”</p><p>In response Loki only smiled. “Let’s start messing with time. There is no need for the stones to do that.”</p><p>Thank God, now he was enraging Stephen again, he had almost been worried for a second. “I am going to hate this…”</p><p>Loki seemed to be perfectly happy. Ready to succumb to his fate Stephen nodded. So this was what the next couple of months of his life would be like. Except that fate had to wait. The phone in his pocket was ringing.</p><p>“How utterly impolite.” Loki clicked his tongue, looking at Stephen expectantly. He definitely wanted him to hang up which definitely wasn’t going to happen. Only one person had this number. Two if Thor had done what Stephen had asked him to do. With his heart trying to jump out of his chest Stephen answered the call. “Hello?”</p><p>“So… Thor says you are some kind of wizard and probably not the worst guy in the world.”</p><p>Stephen thought he was starting to shake and Loki slightly quirked an eyebrow.</p><p>“Thank you for calling.”</p><p>Ignoring him Stark continued to talk with that strangely strained voice. “There are two versions of you. One is working as surgeon in New York City. That one wasn’t the one breaking into my place.”</p><p>“No. Listen, I can explain…”</p><p>“Whatever your deal is, I want nothing to do with it. Stay away from me.”</p><p>“Stark, wait.”</p><p>The other one had already hung up and Stephen was indeed shaking now. Why was it so hard for him to make things right?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. New melodies</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>So, what happens in this chapter?</p><p>Stephen looks at Loki and they talk - excitement :)</p><p>Have fun!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Stephen was back in his hospital bed, somewhere trapped between being asleep and awake. His mind tremendously slowed down by a cocktail of the most expensive drugs the hospital could offer and yet their effect instantly faded away when Stephen’s cloudy gaze fell on his hands. Broken and bruised. Forever ruined.</p><p>The feeling was so shockingly similar except for one distinct difference. Back then Stephen had been quick to blame the attending surgeon instead of looking at himself, the very man who had caused the accident.</p><p>It almost seemed like Stephen was unable to stop hurting him. Whether he wanted to or not. A double edged sword that cut into Stephen’s skin with such ease, leaving him bleeding and helpless. But most of all responsible. A feeling that he wanted to shake off and forget once and for all. There was only one way that he knew of how to deal with failure, grief or discontent.</p><p>“Let’s get to work.” Stephen stated flatly, putting the phone away and locking eyes with Loki. The previous amusement had vanished from the green orbs. It had been replaced by morbid and unveiled curiosity. That was something Stephen wasn’t going to deal with. He would rather engage in a physical fight than to give Loki a single piece of information to gloat over.</p><p>“Are you…”</p><p>Stephen cut him off, not even very harshly but determined. “In order to reverse time we need something that can be reversed. Small, trivial, constant. Dripping water would be easy to handle. Would you lower yourself to providing that? Since you are so eager to learn a new skill from scratch?”</p><p>It took an almost superhuman effort to stop himself from shaking. Pain was slumbering right underneath his skin and a single touch or a wrong word could set him off and cause an abhorrent and devastating storm. Evidently Stephen had a curse had attached itself to Stephen the very moment when he had entered this timeline and this malediction had led him here, with Loki being the only other person present when he was so close to falling apart. Instead of throwing someone a lifeline Loki would gleefully drag them under water to watch the bubbles of their last breath rise to the surface.</p><p>“Are you sure? Now seems like a bad time.” Loki came a step closer and he appeared to be floating, moving with such easy grace. A blatant display of his enjoyment of the situation. “The call obviously upset you.”</p><p>Turning slightly Stephen locked their eyes, searching a direct confrontation. Otherwise there was every likelihood of Stephen simply losing it. “Don’t say anything. Not a word. I know that I depend on you to do this, but I will physically fight you if you don’t let this go immediately. There is not going to be a conversation about this. Let’s get to work.”</p><p>With his head slightly tilted Loki watched him, his upper lip slightly twisted as he was considering his options. About three seconds later Stephen was sure that they would reenact one of their first confrontations, resorting to violence. Instead Loki chose to roll his eyes and to back away, breaking the tension. “It will always remain a complete mystery to me why some people voluntarily decide to suffer.”</p><p>Why did he keep on talking when he didn’t know anything? Loki was the luckiest person in this entire timeline, probably one of the luckiest people who have ever lived and he didn’t have clue why everything had worked out this way for him. Neither did he care. Loki was perfectly happy yielding this immense power that had fallen into his lap although he had committed enough sins to deserve to be cursed instead of blessed. However, in his hubris he even dared to go one step further and pass judgment on Stephen’s character and motivation. The rational part of Stephen, which he had always taken pride in, told him that Loki’s opinion didn’t matter. A power-hungry thief and murderer. Not a single word coming out of his mouth had any value and nevertheless Stephen’s urge to correct him prevailed.</p><p>“Believe me, there is not a fibre in my body prone to martyrdom.”</p><p>“I beg to differ.” Loki replied drily. “You’re walking on eggshells around Stark. Seeking him out without approaching him. Now he is calling you and… Look at you, you are shaking. You almost seem scared of him which cannot be. He clearly is no match for your abilities, so what is plaguing you and why do you refuse doing something about it. What happened between you and Stark back in your timeline?”</p><p>It was the truth, Stephen was shaking. From anger, confusion and under the weight of his guilt. “What is wrong with you, Loki of Asgard?” Stephen made an effort to speak slowly, to take his time as he was trying to divert Loki from this subject. “Here I stand, somebody with knowledge of your future. With invaluable information on so many different aspects of your life and what do you do? You show no interest in your own fate or the fate of your family. Odin, your mother or your brother. What’s more, you don’t want to know about Thanos. These are the questions you should be asking if you were indeed as clever as you claim to be.”</p><p>Stephen was almost taken by surprise when his words showed to have an effect on Loki. They were irritating him enough to narrow his eyes. “These people that you speak of are no kin of mine and their fate is no interest to me. The Titan I can deal with myself. I have done so for over a year. It’s hardly fun anymore. Your story, on the contrary, it is ever so slightly intriguing.”</p><p>“You can’t.” Stephen shook his head. “You can’t deal with him yourself. The means you have gathered to protect yourself are impressive, indeed. Thanos is not going to sit around and wait for one of his henchmen to be successful. He will trawl the universe for the other Infinity Stones, he will find them, take them and then he will come for you. Eventually he will kill you again. Then it will not matter if the Tesseract prefers talking to you. Thanos will take it from your cold hands.”</p><p>Loki’s face remained without expression, he only slightly lifted his chin seemingly taking in the information. Stephen’s instincts screamed at him to back away when Loki took another step closer and there was hardly space left between them. Escalation was imminent. Curling his fingers to access his magic Stephen was ready to lunge. With Loki being so close Stephen felt like he was drowning in the aura of his magic.</p><p>A black circle was forming around the green of Loki’s eyes. It was an obvious threat and an effective one. Irrespective of the danger Stephen couldn’t help but notice the beauty of it. Seeing somebody’s magic so tightly interwoven with their body, their being. Out of all the people in the universe, why was Loki the one who had obtained it?</p><p>“You would like that, wouldn’t you?” Loki finally said, his voice had a cutting edge to it. He sounded as if he was yearning for the violence to happen. “Isn’t this what you miss most about the time you come from? My dead and cold body buried in the ground?”</p><p>By now the green had turned into complete blackness and the rational part of Stephen’s mind was pushed into the backseat. His curiosity and thirst for knowledge made him wonder what it would be like. If Loki was anybody else, somebody who could be reasoned with. Then Stephen would have so many questions to ask, things he wanted to know, to learn. To find out what his abilities were and how they worked and maybe marvel at them. The reality of the situation was very different though.</p><p>“No, actually. Your death would bring me no pleasure because it would mean that Thanos would once more be in possession of the most dangerous weapon ever created. Beyond that I don’t care about you, Loki Odinson. I need your knowledge and the power you have stolen. I require nothing else from you.”</p><p>Seconds passed and Stephen considered lunging the first attack, but then he witnessed how Loki’s natural eye colour returned. Two things about that distressed Stephen to the point of unbearable annoyance. First – the immediate and undeniable relief that he felt because of the fact that there wasn’t going to be a confrontation. Second – it didn’t go by unnoticed that, regardless if they were green or black, Loki’s eyes were spectacular. Luckily Stephen didn’t have the opportunity to dwell on either of these thoughts since Loki turned away and conjured up something to work with by elegantly waving his hand. Two items which Stephen would have described as small indoor fountains. Their Asian design had Stephen wondering if Loki had been studying interior design catalogues.</p><p>“Your wish is my command, Great Sorcerer Supreme.” Without looking at him Loki took a little, derisive bow. “You shall have what you require.”</p><p>If he thought that sarcasm or a sneering attitude had any effect on Stephen, then Loki was in for a surprise. Taking a closer look at their new working equipment Stephen softly nodded to himself. Small droplets of water were constantly dropping into a small basin. Another thing Stephen was never going to understand. How was listening to trickling water supposed to be relaxing? Anyway, thankfully it wasn’t their intention to meditate. There was only one thing missing.</p><p>“Chairs?”</p><p>Instead of deeming him worthy of an answer Loki huffed and moved to sit down on the wooden floor in a perfect lotus pose. So much about Stephen getting what he required. The itch to start another verbal disagreement was instant, but Stephen decided that he wanted a moment of calmness. Also, there was so much work to do.</p><p>Consequently both of them ended up sitting in front of their respective fountains, trying to channel their magic so they make a foolish attempt at stopping time’s natural and unstoppable flow. This was complete madness. At least there was no more talking.</p><p>***</p><p>By day five into their experiment Stephen’s patience was stretched dangerously thin. The list of his sorrows was long and detailed, seeing Loki for several hours each day wasn’t exactly an experience likely cheer him up. Despite his best attempts to keep his thoughts far away from all matters related to Stark, Stephen found himself unable to mull over everything that had already happened. Starting with his involuntary visit, Stark’s haunted eyes and now his refusal to even listen to Stephen’s explanation. So very different from the man that Stephen had met one year ago. Six years ago. It was hard to keep track of time.</p><p>Sometimes resentment towards Loki mingled with Stephen’s regret that was tied to Stark. If it hadn’t been for him this past version of Stark would have never crossed Stephen’s path and both of them would have been spared a lot of grief. Had it not been for Loki grabbing the Tesseract, things might have turned out completely different for everybody. However Stephen was still left with no choice but to cooperate with him.</p><p>A cooperation that was threatening to drive Stephen insane because it was obviously leading nowhere. What they were trying to achieve was simply not in the realm of possibility. Not without decades of training and dedication when they only had a few months. Also, there was no guarantee that Loki wasn’t going to get bored out of a sudden and leave.</p><p>To add to Stephen’s woe, there was also the fact that this timeline’s version of him was probably being harassed by SHIELD already which could alter the course of his life drastically. The situation could be summed up rather quickly, it was a tragedy that went on and Stephen lacked the power to change anything about it.</p><p>Today everything felt even worse. The silence in the training room was crushing him and since that wasn’t enough the still healing wounds on his back were acting up. It was so much easier to ignore them during a day filled with chores. Now when there was only the sound of the water droplets and this unachievable feat right in front of him Stephen found himself aching from staying in the same pose for such a long time. Even though the burns had superficially healed certain movements made Stephen feel like his skin was too tight for his body and it was stretched to its limits. Despite his fierce will to hide his discomfort Stephen couldn’t stop himself from shifting around every now and then. Although Loki seemingly paid no attention to him, focused on his own magic, Stephen knew better. Loki had an endless list of faults to his character, but he definitely was constantly aware of his surroundings. One had to be if the Mad Titan was after you for stealing from him.</p><p>Taking this into consideration Stephen held out for a couple hours more until sitting on the floor until the urge to stand up and straighten his back became overwhelming. Without making a sound Stephen stood up and hoped it would look like he was only trying to stretch his legs. It didn’t take him aback when Loki made a small, annoyed sound. He wasn’t even glancing at Stephen, but the later understood his murmur anyway.</p><p>“Stupidly stubborn.”</p><p>Unfortunately for everybody involved Stephen wasn’t mature or cool enough to let something like that go. Instead he simply had to answer. Even if it was merely a sarcastic grunt. “Like you’re the one to talk.”</p><p>“I didn’t refuse somebody’s help when I suffered severe injuries.”</p><p>Injuries that he had caused. Stephen wished that it was possible to grab somebody’s words and throw them back into the other’s face. “No, you prefer to abstain from immensely valuable information for no other reason than being stubborn. Which is both stupid and stubborn. If you are keeping score.”</p><p>Unfazed Loki shrugged. “I figure you need some way to vent since your attempts at the spell have been pitiful so far.”</p><p>That was such a cheap shot that Stephen was almost tempted to laugh. “Because you are doing so tremendously well so far. You know what? I cannot work like this. The entire setting is ridiculous. The silence is deafening.”</p><p>That caught enough of Loki’s attention for him to actually turn around and frown but Stephen couldn’t care less at this moment. For the time being there was nothing Stephen could do about Loki’s presence. However, he could definitely make his surroundings more bearable. It wouldn’t even take long and Stephen simply had enough of trying to advance in an atmosphere that did nothing for his concentration.</p><p>Without acknowledging Loki’s slightly confused expression Stephen conjured a portal and left. All in all his absence didn’t last longer than 25 minutes. Regardless, it wouldn’t have surprised if Loki had decided that he had no interest in waiting for Stephen to come back. Truth to be told, Stephen might have been tempted gamble money on the fact that Loki would have been gone.</p><p>The Asgardian was still there. Arms crossed in front of his chest, a frown on his face and not too amused by Stephen’s disappearance. Childish as it may seem, that fact gave Stephen a tingle of satisfaction. When he walked back through the portal Loki didn’t even threw insults of any kind at him instead he merely quirked an eyebrow. That tiny sign of interested was directed at the device in Stephen’s hands.</p><p>After weeks during which his discomfort seemed inexorable Stephen was definitely sick of feeling like a complete stranger in a world that was technically still his own. Still the right place at the wrong time. Spending his days with Loki didn’t help to put him at ease, so Stephen was going to change something about the status quo. A minor victory, but it would make life a little bit more bearable. No more torturous silence when he was staring at those water drops. Without saying a word or giving an explanation Stephen put down the laptop and switched it on. Naturally the sound system was nothing in comparison to what he was used to. Beggars can’t be choosers. As soon as the melodious tunes floated through the room Stephen let out a sigh of release. Yes, he could work with that.</p><p>Walking past a puzzled Loki Stephen sat back down on the floor and was ready to reconnect with his magic. It was only then that Loki opened his mouth. “Are you serious? Music?” There was real disbelief, amusement and a little bit embarrassment. Three things that Stephen couldn’t care less about.</p><p>“Yes, music. I work better with it. It’s unnegotiable. By the way if I hear a single negative statement about ‘Piano Man’ you will have revoked your right to speak. Just enjoy. It’s one of the best tracks of the early 70s.”</p><p>For the Stephen the conversation was officially over. Loki refused acknowledging that. “How is anyone supposed to advance in their studies or do some productive work if there’s constant noise?”</p><p>Gritting his teeth Stephen tried to force his brain to instantly forget that somebody had called a piece of music written by Billy Joel noise. After all Stephen was talking to a maniac. “I have no idea if Asgard has come up with an invention as genius as HIFI speakers. If not, you are missing out. Now shut up. This place has long enough reminded me of my time as a student when I had to sit for hours on end in the library and all that one could hear were other students shifting in their chairs. Dreadful. What would I have given for Wong’s MP3 player then?”</p><p>Frankly, it was beyond Stephen to figure out why Loki was continuing this conversation. “That is the very best thing about a library. The opportunity to escape all the boorish, mind-numbing noise pollution that is happening outside of it. I happen to enjoy the silence.”</p><p>Turning his head Stephen sent Loki a gaze that was almost filled with pity. Almost. “Only a man who has never had the pleasure to listen to the entirety of An Innocent Man can say something like that.”</p><p>Loki huffed in response and the way he rolled his eyes reminded Stephen of a petulant child. And this man was yielding the power of two Infinity Stones. Unbelievable. “Your puny references to Midgardian culture are lost on me, mortal.”</p><p>“Obviously. Because you’ve never head good music. I am educating you. It’s about time. Now sit down and get back to work.”</p><p>By now Loki’s urge to keep talking had already ruined half of the song and Stephen’s wasn’t going to accept to miss out on another glorious second. Slowly swaying his head to the gentle rhythm of the beat Stephen felt himself relax. This was like muscle memory, deeply engrained within him. His body and mind both remembered what they were supposed to do. Like this it was so much easier to completely dive into the task at hand, to lose himself in it. Just like back then, during another life, when he had held a scalpel between his fingers.</p><p>Taking his time Stephen evened out his breathing, one part of him listening to the music, the other one listening to what was inside of him. Magic that had served him well which had come into contact with forces that were beyond comprehension and Stephen had persevered. Sometimes through the help of the Time Stone and sometimes all on his own. What Loki wanted them to do, appeared to be an insurmountable challenge at first glance. On closer inspection though it was a skill like any other. Something that could be learned through dedication, practice and repetition. After everything that Stephen had seen it was foolish to consider anything impossible. The only thing that could get in his way were his own doubts.</p><p>The room around him and everything within it had faded from existence. What remained was Stephen himself, a faint melody that could be any song and steady drops of water that created never ending echo. The very second they hit the surface of the water they ceased to exist and left no trace behind. Before his inner eye Stephen saw the one of the drops and its uniqueness. He pictured how it slowed down and eventually came to a halt. Just hoovering there in the air. Caught forever as the flow of time had stopped.</p><p>Stephen could see it and in this moment idea of being able to do this didn’t seem to be too far-fetched. Holding out one hand Stephen let his magic run free to the rhythm of a melody in his mind and then bundled it to reach out for this very drop. To alter its existence. As he tried to grab it Stephen had to find out that it kept slipping away and when he tried again, time started to put up a fight which was in itself a miracle. Time should not even take notice of him but continue its perpetual course with unrelenting force. And yet it was aware of Stephen trying to interfere with it. Like fly that needed to be batted away.</p><p>That was exactly what happened. Stephen was pushed aside as if he was nothing, his attempt barely being registered. The deep state of concentration he had been in collapsed like a house of cards and Stephen found himself back in this room, panting from exhaustion. His failure had left him weak and drained which didn’t mean that Stephen was discontent. Only some hours ago Stephen had been certain that getting to this point could not be done. Now he had felt time beneath his fingers and there was this new knowledge that it could be done. Stephen could do it.</p><p>Raising his head Stephen saw that Loki’s gaze was fixed on him. The disbelief in his voice had now moved onto his face. Except for his eyes, they were filled with intrigue. “Well, I’ll be damned.”</p><p>***</p><p>Stephen wouldn’t say that he was a man who had a way with words, but usually he managed to get his point across. Nevertheless, he definitely lacked the necessary vocabulary to describe the week that had followed his small yet significant breakthrough. Things had changed. Stephen wasn’t sure yet to what degree.</p><p>Perhaps this was Stephen’s arrogance talking, however he was tempted to believe that Loki had gained some respect for him. That Stephen’s abilities had taken him aback. None of that had been said out loud, it was just a new vibe in the atmosphere. Not an unpleasant one.</p><p>There was also the fact that the two of them were slowly getting used to the other’s presence. Not exactly comfortable, Stephen wouldn’t go that far. The best way to put it was probably to compare it with a workplace relationship. On your first day you put some serious effort into your outfit and general attitude, to make sure that the very best version of yourself was always on display. Until a routine settled in and you stopped caring.</p><p>Something of that sort seemed to have happened to Loki and Stephen instantly spotted the obvious change. Loki was no longer wearing the black cloak that he had been showing off every time they had met. Instead he was clad in dark trousers that tightly hugged his legs and a loose emerald top that Stephen would describe as a tunic. Certainly no battle gear. How was Stephen supposed to interpret that? Did Loki consider him such a minor threat that he wasn’t worry about any potential fight? Nothing new there. Admittedly, Stephen had always grown accustomed to Loki’s constant presence and he had stopped looking over his shoulder. Which in no way meant that there was even a small figment of trust between them. They had got into a habit. That was all.</p><p>Stephen could use this to his advantage though by trying to gather as much information on Loki as possible. No words were exchanged, so there was that. Stephen preferred the nonverbal coexistence and the music to any investigation. Every single time Stephen turned on the music, today it had started with Dance with me by Peter Brown, Loki would either shake his head or roll his eyes. However, he never complained and simply sat down to work on the droplets.</p><p>Granted, Stephen should be doing the very same thing at the moment, but he found it a little hard to concentrate since he had become aware of the changes. Loki’s attire wasn’t the only thing that stood out to him. About three days ago Loki had conjured up a small bar stocked with bottles of water. Right now Loki was standing up and walking over there to get himself something to drink. Stephen’s eyes closely followed his every step. Loki poured himself a glass of water, drinking from a bottle was probably too plebeian for him. The collar of the tunic was wide, on the right side it had almost dropped low enough to reveal Loki’s shoulder. There was something strange about seeing Loki’s skin. Except for his face his entire body had always been covered by black garment. Even now Loki was still wearing those gloves which, was definitely odd.</p><p>For some reason that Stephen failed to grasp the line of Loki’s neck was tremendously distracting. The paleness of his skin was flawless in a way that was almost eerie. As a surgeon Stephen had cut into more bodies than he could count and none of them had had skin so pure that it tempted the observer to assume it was artificial. Which it obviously wasn’t. Loki’s collarbone made a similar impression. It reminded Stephen that underneath all that magic and that display of superiority was still a person, a physical body that could be wounded and that was vulnerable.</p><p>Then Stephen noticed something else. Something even more interesting. Loki was softly tapping his foot to the rhythm of the song that was currently playing. Frankie Valley. Not the worst choice. So despite all that groaning and moaning Loki found some enjoyment in the music after all. Finally, one redeeming feature.</p><p>“Don’t you have music in Asgard?”</p><p>Loki turned his head, only now taking notice of the fact that Stephen was watching him. “What? Have given up working for today?”</p><p>“Just answer my question, will you?”</p><p>Carelessly Loki shrugged. “Of course, there is music in Asgard. Every culture, no matter who primitive, has come up with concept.”</p><p>Stephen should be damned, he was actually interested in this conversation. “So? What is wrong with Asgardian music?”</p><p>There again, Loki rolled his eyes and for once it had nothing to do with Stephen which was a gratifying sensation. “Asgardians tend to put more emphasis on volume than on pleasing harmonies. It mostly consists out of banging drums as hard as you can and shouting ancient battle cries. Such wonderful songs are mostly performed over lavish feasts. As if there wasn’t enough noise already.”</p><p>Such genuine disdain and for once Stephen could understand where he was coming from. “That does sound like a genuine nightmare.”</p><p>After he had emptied his glass Loki put it back on the counter. “What else to expect from a country that hardly ever produced something of cultural worth that wasn’t related to sorcery or warfare? Yet Asgard still somehow deems itself the protector of all other worlds and races. Whether they like it or not.”</p><p>Again this resentful Loki had little in common with the version Thor had been talking about. The version which had supposedly come back with a rescue ship to save all of Asgard. A weary feeling settled in Stephen’s stomach. “I thought that you only hated your father. Where’s…”</p><p>Loki interrupted him with a sizzling noise. “Odin is not my father.”</p><p>“Alright, I assumed you only hated Odin. Where is this disregard for all of Asgard coming from? You smiled when I told you that it was going to burn.” That image still sent shivers down Stephen’s spine.</p><p>“Because Asgard deserves it. All of them. Thinking themselves the alpha and the omega of all existing things when they have little to no idea of all the powers that lie beyond the void. The absolute leisure with which they judge others, decide what’s best for them without ever consulting them. The sheer arrogance of believing that they get to tell right from wrong.” Loki’s lips formed a small grin. “Moreover, Ragnarok is Asgard’s fate. Every generation knows that and hopes they aren’t going to be one concerned.”</p><p>Stephen searched his eyes. “And all its inhabitants deserve to die?”</p><p>“Oh, they won’t. They didn’t. I am sure plenty of them got away. I could tell by your reaction.”</p><p>“And those who didn’t?”</p><p>Loki gnawed on his lower lip, like he had to actually think about this. “Did Odin get away?”</p><p>Still not asking about himself but about the ones he loathed. Stephen would never be able to understand him. For a second he considered not telling Loki at all. Why should he lie though? “Both your parents are dead.”</p><p>An insignificant part of Stephen wanted him to care or to at least show some emotional reaction. He was disappointed. Loki crossed his arms in front of his chest and hummed softly. “Was I responsible for that?”</p><p>No gloating, no hint of concern. Almost as if he was asking about the weather. “No. I heard you were distraught.”</p><p>Things went from bad to worse when Loki laughed. “Oh, poor other me. Probably never got to know what I know.”</p><p>What? “What are you talking about?”</p><p>Grinning slightly Loki shook his head. “Enough small talk. Let’s get to work. Oh and tune down the music. It’s awful.”</p>
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<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Shade of green</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello everybody, </p><p>So Stephen is dealing with a couple of different people and somehow it's all about Loki and Loki himself... that's another story</p><p>Have fun :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I’m tired of your little games wizard.” There was no need for Thor to point out his annoyance, he was not the type of person who could hide his emotional state. As far as Stephen knew that ability had never been in his wheelhouse. That wasn’t something that Stephen wasn’t going to critique him for. What he wasn’t going to tolerate was his choice of words. “None of this is a game, Thor. May I remind you that you were the one who asked to talk to me?”</p><p>When contemplating Thor’s expression Stephen had trouble reconciling this grim man with the ever smiling friend he had left behind in his own time. Smiles that were only there to mask the underlying sadness. Sadness as well as joy seemed so far removed from the person he was dealing with right now. “I have certainly jumped through enough loops by now.”</p><p>If Thor wanted to underestimate his overpowered brother, a carrier of two Infinity Stones, he was perfectly free to do so. That didn’t mean Stephen was going to commit the same mistake and he was not going to be dragged down by Thor’s illogical handling of the situation. Stephen was calling the shots as long as he was directly concerned.</p><p>“One more.”</p><p>Thor audibly growled and Stephen couldn’t care less. Honestly, there was even an ounce of humour in this situation. The Ancient One was kind enough to inform Stephen that the god of thunder wished to talk to him. So Thor had sought them out. Fantastic. Why not immediately rent the entire Times Squares and have all the advertising space say ‘Attention everyone! Thor and Doctor Strange are plotting against Loki! Fraternisation happening right now!’ Was it too much to ask for people to act a little bit cleverer? Loki wasn’t going to make such stupid mistakes.</p><p>Instead of dropping by at Thor’s place Stephen had a message delivered where he wanted Thor to be and at what time. There was another message waiting which sent Thor to another place. Instead of another message, there was a portal. This routine was repeated a couple of times. It clearly angered Thor who refused to see the point in it, but Stephen couldn’t be bothered. After all it hadn’t been him who had requested this meeting. Personally, Stephen could have done without it, he was busy trying to manipulate time and at the same time running out of it.</p><p>Eventually he and Thor were standing in front of each other, somewhere in the wasteland of South America. This obstacle course should have been enough to shake off any potential tails. There was no guarantee since Loki could be involved, but Stephen hadn’t left it to chance.</p><p>“What is it that you want to talk about? Be quick. Time is a luxury that I do not possess.” Only seconds into this meeting Stephen was already trying to get out of it. Naturally Thor rewarded that attitude with a dark glare. “Evidently. How would you otherwise explain that you are having such difficulties in keeping me updated? Do I have to remind you that it was you who proposed our cooperation?”</p><p>Of course it had been Stephen because he had wanted to keep his options open. Who knew when he would be in need of some extra muscle? At the moment it did look like Stephen would have to do the heavy lifting himself. However, that didn’t mean he was eager to alienate Thor. “Yes, because our goals align. For now there is not much to discuss. I haven’t gathered enough information yet to even draft a plan how to neutralise him.”</p><p>Stephen had his own problems and he dared to assume that they were bigger and more relevant than Thor’s issues. The Asgardian certainly didn’t share this opinion. “Then your method to gather information has proven to be ineffective.”</p><p>For a short, enlightened moment Stephen was tempted to take a look at himself and his own arrogance. Was this how other people perceived him? Impatient and demanding without bringing anything to the table himself? Unlikely. Stephen had a good track record of driving people away from him while at the same time earning their respect. Arrogance was earned, Stephen had put immense work into perfecting his magical skills and acquiring knowledge. Thanks to that hard effort Stephen knew what he was talking about and Thor was looking down at him although he was still sticking to same unsuccessful approach when it came to Loki. Raw strength. Pointless. Clearly Stephen was feeling a strong desire to turn around and leave but this was a door he didn’t want to close just now. Perhaps nostalgia was also involved. Behind his ribs Stephen could feel a tinge of regret for not appreciating Thor’s boastful hugs and wide smiles more when he had had to opportunity. This younger version appeared to be more jaded, distrustful and mean-spirited. Not one character trait that Stephen would normally have attributed to Thor. For now Stephen was trying to stay professional. “Perhaps not as effective as you want it to be. I must admit that spying on your brother is not my top priority at the moment. He is helping me though to find a way back to my own timeline. That is what I am concentrating on.”</p><p>“So you have no more interested in bringing Loki to justice.”</p><p>This black and white thinking turned out to be an incredibly annoyance. “Obviously that is not at all what I said. I am the Sorcerer Supreme, it is my duty to protect this planet from all magical threats. That includes Loki and I am not going to neglect that duty. Loki and I intent to use the Divergence to open a portal that will allow me to get back home. The Divergence isn’t due until November that leaves us about four months to come up with a plan and it is going to be out of your wheelhouse, I am afraid. Asgardian strength and your hammer are no longer a match for Loki.”</p><p>Taking a step closer Thor used all of that Asgardian muscle to make himself appear as big and as mighty as possible. That sad display only provoked Stephen into quirking an eyebrow. After witnessing death, bravery, sacrifice, pain and power Stephen failed to be impressed by Thor. Which the Asgardian either didn’t notice or didn’t care about. “Do not be foolish and underestimate the power of Mjölnir, Sorcerer Supreme. It has already proven its might by bringing Loki down once.”</p><p>Stephen groaned with mild frustration. “I am not going to make another attempt to try to explain the extent of the power that your brother has accumulated. That would be pointless. There is something though that I need to figure out. I assume that I am up to date with everything that happened up until the very moment your brother grabbed the tesseract. What happened afterwards? Between the two of you. Any conversations? Further revelations? Did you talk about Asgard? Loki’s Jotun heritage? Anything?”</p><p>There was this comment nagging at Stephen. Loki laughing at the idea of mourning the death of his entire family. Nothing about that added up with what Thor had told him about the late Loki and Stephen was going to get to the bottom of this.</p><p>Finally Thor showed some other emotion than grim discontent. At this point Stephen was grateful for confusion. “I have no idea what you could be referring to.”</p><p>“Neither do I, it’s something Loki said. Have the two of you talked about anything since the invasion? Or has it all been fighting?”</p><p>“There are no conversations to be had with Loki. He has been beyond reason for years. He tried to enslave this planet and after he failed he hasn’t showed any remorse since.”</p><p>Stephen had no trouble believing that, he hadn’t experienced anything to the contrary. Except for a little detail that Thor was graciously overlooking. Loki had significantly upgraded his power level since he had arrived here with the Chitauri army. With two Infinity Stones not much manpower was needed to force an entire world to get down on its knees. Until now Loki had tried nothing of that kind.</p><p>***</p><p>“All I am saying is that I am highly interested in seeing what you are actually doing. What he is doing. It must be extraordinary.”</p><p>Only a few weeks back Stephen would have shuddered at the prospect of Kaecilius expressing an interest in messing with the concept of time. Regardless of the vast number of atrocious events that Stephen had lived through, the simple memory of Kaecilius’ contorted face, destroyed by dark magic and hatred was still capable of sending shivers down Stephen’s spine. That memory was tied so closely to Stephen’s own pain and the never ending moment of being torn apart by Dormammu. One way or another.</p><p>Kaecilius’ remark did leave an impact, however Stephen didn’t feel completely overwhelmed by it anymore. Which didn’t mean that he was at ease with Kaecilius still carrying this unhealthy obsession inside of him.</p><p>“The idea behind it is extraordinary.” Stephen shrugged and then continued to eat his takeaway. He wasn't going to get into much more detail than that. Strangely enough Kaecilius had somehow become the only person that Stephen could have an actual conversation with. Sometimes it would also be nice to talk about something that wasn’t related to Stephen’s dilemma.</p><p>“You are simply oozing with confidence, aren’t you?” Kaecilius showed his amusement and leaned back against the tree trunk, clearly comfortable. It was admittedly a nice setting. Eating Chinese takeout in the patio of the Kamar-Taj clearly was a little bit out of the ordinary, for Stephen though it could be compared to a holiday. Especially after his unsatisfying interaction with Thor.</p><p>“It’s not just what we’re trying to do.” Using his chopsticks Stephen poked around in his noodles, looking at them without much appetite. “Which is a whole other matter. I am trying to get under his skin a little bit, find out how he is using the stones or what makes him tick. Except for being a power hungry maniac. Unfortunately he isn’t stupid. He knows that I am eventually going to try to take him out which makes it all the other to come up with a strategy to actually do that.”</p><p>Kaecilius hummed in approval, casually tapping his fingers against his thigh. “That’s not going to be easy. I figure it’s a matter of spending time around each other. Eventually you will notice some of his routines and weaknesses. The same goes for him though. You said it yourself, he is smart. He will learn things about you too.”</p><p>Well that was definitely the very last thing Stephen was worried about and he emphasised that with a dismissive wave. “That is hardly a problem. He is too much of a narcissist to even glance at another person or pay attention to what they are doing.”</p><p>An entertained chuckle reached Stephen’s ears and he knew that he was going to hear something else that he didn’t like. “Anything you want to tell me?”</p><p>A small smile was playing around Kaecilius’ lips. Could that ever be considered a normal, not entirely bizarre sight? “I am amazed by how arrogant a person can sound while complaining about another person’s crushing arrogance.”</p><p>Fine, Stephen would take the bait, but he didn’t have to like it. “Alright, now I am being compared to the bloodthirsty, megalomaniac war criminal. May I ask why?”</p><p>“He is a skilled sorcerer. To reach such a level skill, patience, intelligence and great perception are necessities. Sure, he is aware of his own power and maybe he revels in it. The only thing people with power are weary of are other people with power that they cannot control. Even if he believes himself superior in every way, he is definitely taking notice of what you are doing. For the very simple fact that he wants to stay in control and on top of the food chain. In my opinion it is foolish to believe that he is so caught up in himself that you could do anything next to him without catching his attention.”</p><p>Refusing to answer immediately Stephen preferred to grind his jaw. Was there something that he hated more than being called out on something and the other person being right? Kaecilius had a point, it would be reckless and stupid to rely completely on Loki’s belief that Stephen could under no circumstances ever pose a threat. There was no guarantee that this attitude would render Loki completely blind to everything happening around him. Especially since Loki had already claimed to be looking forward to however Stephen was going to try to take him out. Stephen tried to spare himself the woe and didn’t ponder about how much easier life would be if Loki weren’t smart.</p><p>Chewing on another piece of meat Stephen slowly overcame the blow that Kaecilius had delivered. Only a few hours ago Stephen had chided Thor for committing a severe mistake in underestimating Loki and now Stephen was falling in the very same trap. Except that it had nothing to with Loki’s powers.</p><p>“Okay.” Stephen finally uttered a sigh. “I get it. I don’t like it. Your suggestion is for me to constantly keep my guard up while persuading him to let his down. All while trying to reverse time. Nothing easier than that. I am so good with people after all.”</p><p>“Like I said, you can bring me along anytime.”</p><p>Sure, Stephen would rather wake up dead tomorrow.</p><p>They stayed in the patio a little longer until Kaecilius had to leave to take care of his chores. It was that moment when Stephen felt at his most pathetic. For years he had sought out silence and calmness. The last twelve months he hadn’t done anything else but to hide away from the rest of the world and now he missed having someone to talk to. Stephen was sick of being stuck in a timeline where he felt out of place and alone. Or surrounded by people who he had nothing in common with or who couldn’t understand what he had been through. Like Mordo.</p><p>Stephen wouldn’t put it past him to have been eavesdropping during the entire conversation. At the moment Stephen didn’t feel like he had the energy for another fight in him. “How about we skip the speech and I leave right away?”</p><p>Mordo was watching him with cold, calculating eyes which were such a harsh contrast to Kaecilius’ smile. “You will answer me a question, Master Strange.”</p><p>There was no point in correcting Mordo and telling him once more that Stephen wasn’t a mere master. “I am always happy to share my knowledge.”</p><p>Graciously Mordo ignored the snark. “Are you really so delusional that you do not see what you are doing? A part of me hopes so, otherwise there is no excuse. You are trying to manipulate a source of power that should be left alone. Moreover you are facilitating access to it. You are violating every principle that the Kamar-Taj stands for.”</p><p>If Stephen had to choose between Kaecilius’ unhealthy interest in altering the course of time and Mordo’s contempt, he would probably go for the first. Which was in itself highly alarming. Stephen was not going to try and explain himself anymore, he had other things to do and he had only come here to talk to Kaecilius. That conversation was over and had no reason to stay any longer.</p><p>“I fear we will have to postpone the discussion about why I am a disgrace to all the masters. Unfortunately my schedule is very tight.” As casually as possible Stephen opened a portal and left, unable to shake off the tight feeling in his chest.</p><p>The second he stepped into their training room Stephen was smothered by complete silence. It was starting to wear him down and he felt the temptation to fight with Loki over turning off the music when he wasn’t here. Wasn’t this the perfect time to become completely unreasonable? Stephen’s inner turmoil came to a sudden end when he spotted the other person in the room. Evidently Stephen didn’t immediately know how to feel about Loki continuing to work on their project on his own. Progress was obviously something they were striving for, but if Stephen wasn’t permanently involved, Mordo might end up having a point. That definitely was something Stephen didn’t want to risk.</p><p>Loki was sitting Indian style in the very centre of the room in front of his little fountain, his back turned to him. After taking a single step Stephen stopped dead in his tracks. Why hadn’t Loki said anything yet? Normally he couldn’t make a smartass comment quickly enough and now Stephen was greeted by nothing but silence. It made no sense to assume that Loki wasn’t aware of his presence. Still, his body language didn’t give anything away, there was none. To Stephen it almost seemed like he was meditating.</p><p>Somewhat intrigued Stephen decided against calling attention to himself. If there was any chance that Loki indeed hadn’t noticed him Stephen wanted to find out why and more importantly if it was possible to sneak up on him. Catching him off-guard could open a wide range of possibilities.</p><p>Slowly Stephen moved closer, using a tiny amount of magic so his feet wouldn’t make a sound on the wooden floor. Making his way around Loki Stephen forgot about the original plan as professional curiosity and fascination took over. Loki was in fact not meditating, he was channelling his magic in an effort to manipulate the water drops. The sudden realisation overcame Stephen that Loki was in such a deep state of concentration that his other senses were impaired. Loki didn’t know that he was no longer alone and Stephen felt like he had been pushed into ice cold water that was paralysing him. Obviously he hadn’t really believed that he would be able to catch Loki unaware.</p><p>This thought itself turned out to be fleeting and unimportant. Instead of pondering the consequences of this huge event Stephen was mesmerised by the display and aura of Loki’s magic. Unlike the other times Stephen had seen it before it was just pitch-black. The pulsing globe of light between Loki’s hands had a dark core that was interwoven with the most beautiful shade of green. Individual filmy strings of magic that were the colour of a meadow during rainfall were wrapped around Loki’s fingertips and there was no need to take another step closer. The waves of power radiating from it were rolling over Stephen’s body like the actual ocean. Marvellous and deep, easy to get lost in. Yet despite its force and potency Stephen could feel that underneath the surface it was fragile and delicate.</p><p>Unconsciously Stephen slowed down his breathing as if that would allow him to pay better attention. It was artwork. Only a sorcerer with sophisticated skill was capable of crafting such complicated and fine patterns. Stephen couldn’t remember the last time he had seen another magic user doing something similar. Except for himself and just thinking about it made him feel the strain.</p><p>As it turned out Stephen wasn’t the only one. His eyes travelled to Loki’s left temple. Several beads of sweat were making their way down the side of his face. The lines around his closed eyes were deep and a testament to the struggle he was going through to keep the energy at the same level. Stephen’s eyes darted from Loki to the fountain. Mercilessly the water kept on dropping, causing that continuous splashing sound that was a constant reminder of failure.</p><p>Loki was close though, Stephen could feel it all over. Such an intricate web of magic that was trying to grab that one fleeting moment in time and to hold on to it. No matter how desperate the attempt was, time kept slipping right through his grasp and Stephen could feel it wavering. The globe was starting to jitter, threatening to collapse in on itself.</p><p>No, that couldn’t happen. Not when Stephen hadn’t seen yet what it might be able to do with a little bit of help. With no hesitation whatsoever Stephen brushed all other thoughts aside and focused on his own magic. He felt it moving inside of him, moving in similar fashion to the globe in Loki’s hands. Except that it wasn’t weakened. Not yet. Stephen remembered the moment he had felt the power of time himself and he knew perfectly well what it was doing to Loki.</p><p>Gold was flowing down Stephen’s arms, pooling in the palms of his broken hands. An amazing tool that could achieve wonders that most mortal minds couldn’t comprehend. Yet it wasn’t enough but neither was the dark globe. Which was starting to fall apart without doing what it was supposed to do.</p><p>Stephen wasn’t going to let that happen. The very moment Stephen’s magic reached out and grazed Loki’s he could feel the weight pulling him down. Like shackles wrapped too tightly around his ankles while he was trying to swim to the surface. Only that he had been under water so long that he could no longer tell up from down. Ultimately none of that mattered, Stephen had been through greater pain and he could let go at any moment if he wanted to.</p><p>Golden magic wrapped itself the globe, not serving as shackles but as bandages. Giving it stability, holding it upright. They touched and Stephen felt as if the Time Stone was back around his neck. Maybe it had never left in first place. Magic so old and limitless that it wouldn’t let go until it had swallowed you whole. The only difference was that a person was attached to it. With their own will, temper and fears.</p><p>At the first touch the other energy almost shied away, surprised by another presence. Until it suddenly gave up its resistance. The globe stabilised and then there was nothing but that one single drop of water on its unstoppable way down, a victim to gravity. Loki wasn’t the one reaching out for it. Stephen could feel it underneath his fingertips. Both of them were shaking.</p><p>Then it stopped.</p><p>Impossible to tell for how long. Shorter than a second. Several lifetimes. It was all the same.</p><p>Gold and black and green caved in at the same time, exploding in brightness before vanishing completely.</p><p>Trying to catch his breath Stephen kept his eyes on Loki who had almost fallen over and was now supporting himself on his hands. Silence except for their ragged breathing and the splashing of the water. For once Stephen didn’t think it was deafening.</p><p>Loki raised his head and his eyes were the same colour as his magic. Why wasn’t it always green? Stephen wanted him to say something because he genuinely didn’t know what it was going to be. Or how either of them was supposed to feel right now. The expression on Loki’s face didn’t help. Perhaps the slight curl of his lips could be interpreted as a smile. Stephen wouldn’t bet a single dollar on it.</p><p>“I feel like having a drink. I might indulge you if you are willing to tag along.”</p><p>That could almost be considered charming.</p><p>“Yes, sure.”</p><p>Not even a minute later they were in Loki’s penthouse hideout and Stephen was serving himself, just to be on the safe side. That gave Loki enough time to let all signs of physical exertion disappear. Curious to find out what was going to happen Stephen poured Loki a glass of scotch and offered it to him. A part of him was certain that Loki wasn’t going to take it. Either to be careful or to spite him. Neither of those things happened. Loki took the glass, even muttering a soft ‘Thank you’.</p><p>Definitely surprising.</p><p>They sat down on different ends of the couch, eyeing each other carefully and with even more distrust than usual. This was going to end up in the top three most awkward situations Stephen had ever been in. His mind appeared to be completely empty, wiped clean by whatever had happened minutes before. For once he would be immensely grateful for Loki to do the talking.</p><p>“I wonder why it is so hard for you to learn the lesson that it might be better to keep your distance. I usually don’t react this nicely to people who try to sneak up on me.”</p><p>What else to expect?</p><p>“I did nothing of that sort.” Stephen lied. “Is it so hard for you to admit that we achieved something incredible because I helped you?”</p><p>This time Loki definitely smiled and it was a mixture of intrigue and amusement. Without condescension. “Alright, you helped me. I can admit that your… interference was helpful.” Slowly Loki bit the inside of his cheek, his thoughts drifting off. “To an extent that rather surprised me.”</p><p>“Well, you are not the only one.”</p><p>Stephen waited for the taunt. Some comment about how Stephen’s minor magical abilities were at least good for something. It never came. Loki seemed to be content to sip his drink. “Evidently this is not my usual modus operandi, but I am not going to ignore the obvious benefits. Next time we should work on how to optimise this method so it will not cost as much energy.”</p><p>More than one thing crossed Stephen’s mind that he should say. How entire universe lay between altering the effects of time on a single drop of water and a portal. How there clearly wasn't enough time to ever get to this point. Or how they should instantly go back to work because Stephen couldn’t wait to find out what they could do together. Instead Stephen simply nodded. “I agree.”</p><p>The following silence was again too hard to take and Stephen couldn’t come up with anything but small talk. “This scotch that you stole from… whoever is living here is pretty good.”</p><p>Taking a look at the glass in his hand Loki shrugged. “I guess so. I have nothing to compare it to. I am more of wine person.”</p><p>Stephen was about to tell him that he knew this fantastic vineyard and that their Sauvignon Blanc was to die for, but then he realised who he was talking to and bit his lip. This was too…</p><p>A thought that Stephen never got to finish. He and Loki got thrown to the floor by the force of the explosion that shattered all the windows and tore down an entire wall.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Question time - Who is attacking them and why?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Intimacy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello everybody, </p><p>A rather long chapter and things get a little more intimate...</p><p>Have fun :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Honest to god, Stephen wasn’t surprised. Why should he have been? Things had only been quiet for about three minutes, he had managed to catch a glimpse of a new side of Loki and they had shared a moment without insulting each other, naturally everything had to go down the drain instantly. The single surprising element was that Loki didn’t turn out to be the one to ruin everything.</p><p>It was a testament to Stephen’s horrible and ridiculously lifestyle that he hadn’t taken a deep dive into panic while lying on the floor with shards of glass in his hair. The brute force of the explosion had violently pushed him back before brutally knocking him to the floor. A burning sensation had completely engulfed his ribcage and the next breath Stephen took was accompanied by stings of pain. However, panic wasn’t going to set in anytime soon. Not after last year.</p><p>Trying to assess the situation Stephen turned his head and caught a glimpse of Loki getting back up on his feet. Not rushed, not alarmed but despite everything obviously surprised and that finally gave Stephen the certainty that he wasn’t involved in whatever this was.</p><p>A flash of red suddenly lit up the remains of the room and Stephen raised his hands just half a second too late. The kind of magic that hit him directly in the chest was unfamiliar to him unlike the agony it delivered. Pure force, just a more sophisticated way to punch someone with their fists. Stephen stumbled back, then quickly used his own magic to keep himself steady and on his feet. As his anger was surging Stephen decided that he had enough of this. Dust was slowly settling and was eventually going to reveal who was attacking them. To keep any immediate future attacks at bay Stephen created a shield to replace the wall that had been blown apart. Adjusting his stance Stephen could feel his ribs acting up, he might have cracked on during his fall. Exactly what he needed.</p><p>Distorted shadows appeared behind the dissolving cloud of dust, at least six of them. Different shapes and sizes, nothing that would allow an immediate identification. Half the universe could be after Loki for an endless amount of reasons, so this could pretty much anyone.</p><p>Loki himself probably knew who they were dealing with, outwardly he seemed to be unfazed as he tugged a loose strand of hair behind his ear. “It saddens me when people are incapable of learning their lesson.”</p><p>Stephen would have rolled his eyes if sight hadn’t significantly cleared up at that very moment. They were facing seven creatures that most definitely came from very different worlds, physically they didn’t have much in common. Moreover Stephen couldn’t identify any of them since they were completely clad in dark, black garment which also partly covered their faces. The pain in his ribcage was joined with an uneasy feeling in his gut, he was getting a strong mercenary vibe.</p><p>The cold night air was flooding the room, the entire external wall was no longer there and offered them a view of an aircraft hoovering outside. Evidently no earth based technology. Great, as if Stephen hadn’t already drawn enough attention to himself. How big were the chances that the Avengers weren’t going to show up and ruin Stephen’s day even more than Loki already had? By being a madman and a thief and being hunted by God knows who.</p><p>It was safe to assume that Stephen wouldn’t receive a different kind of treatment than Loki. This was going to get messy and unfortunately Stephen couldn’t pass on Loki’s support which made them a team in this confrontation. Which was going to involve magic, two of them had glowing red energy beams surrounding their hands and the other ones were carrying arms. No time to catch a break yet.</p><p>“Deplorable wights.” Loki’s lips formed a sly smile and Stephen groaned inwardly. He hated it when people thought they had to utter funny lines during a fight.</p><p>A fight that started a second later. The magic users threw their beams at Stephen’s shield and it was a harsh awakening when it two hits were enough to visibly weaken the spell, the shield was not going to withstand much further damage. They would get into it sooner than he had thought. Loki was still smiling.</p><p>A shot with some kind of blaster was fired at the shield and it collapsed in on itself. Stephen conjured his magic to be ready and the attackers charged at them. Stephen immediately had to block several beams that they fired at him with their guns while the magic user had turned to Loki. It felt good to be appreciated.</p><p>Although Stephen had no idea who he was dealing with he was not going to waste time by asking questions. Their intentions were clearly hostile and they weren’t from this planet, they had no business bringing violence and destruction here. It was Stephen’s duty as Sorcerer Supreme to deal with that. In between two beams being fired at him Stephen turned the tables, switching from defense to offense. Launching his magic at one of the attackers Stephen had the golden strings wrapping themselves around the other’s weapon and Stephen yanked it from his grip. At the same time he had to avoid getting hit by the one he hadn’t disarmed yet. To get rid of him Stephen went with a classic and had him falling through a portal.</p><p>That should have put the odds clearly in his favour but his remaining adversary showed no obvious displeasure about the loss of his weapon and Stephen was quick to find out why. A flickering cold grey light came into existence around the other’s hands and eventually formed to long thin blades. Fine, so Stephen was worth a little bit of magic after all.</p><p>Without a sound the other one stormed towards him and Stephen pitied him for so much stupidity. He let him come closer until he was merely a few steps away. Only then did Stephen open a new portal right in front of himself for the other one to run right into. Except that it didn’t happen. The attacker simply leaped over the portal in a move that definitely wasn’t possible for any living being on Earth. At the same time his feet hit the ground he slashed at Stephen with both blades causing him to stumble back to avoid being hit.</p><p>Stephen was continuously forced to back away as the other one kept trying to strike him with his blade, a fierce attack at a relentless speed. Due to combat at close range not being his specialty Stephen knew that he had to quickly gain the upper hand to dictate new rules. The next slash only barely missed the side of his face and a sizzling noise reached his ear. His guess was that the tips of his hair were burned. Stephen was getting increasingly getting sick of this.</p><p>“Perhaps we should move around a little bit.”</p><p>As always Stephen could rely on the cloak of levitation to know exactly how to support him in any kind of situation. When the attacker brought his blade down again the cloak swiftly pulled Stephen aside. Now behind his opponent Stephen quickly formed new strings from his magic, tougher, more resistant ones and wrapped them around the creature’s neck from behind. With a lot more glee than what could be considered appropriate Stephen yanked him down to the floor.</p><p>Hastily the other one was trying to tug at the strings to free himself which only made Stephen hold on tighter. He was not going to strangle him to death, however he needed him immobilised. Doing two things at the same time was second nature to Stephen, there should be no problems in pulling this off. This little trick might not have worked on Loki, but this guy wasn’t playing in the same league. Hopefully so.</p><p>Trapping somebody else in the mirror dimension without ever setting foot inside of it oneself was a fine art and there weren’t a lot of people who with enough skill to do it. Luckily Stephen had made an entire lifestyle out of defying the odds and being a part in elite circles. This one could be added to the list.</p><p>The other one kept struggling to no avail, Stephen held on tight and simultaneously opened the gateway to the mirror dimension. It took an undeniable effort to pull both actions off, but eventually Stephen let the gateway engulf his disabled attacker and within the same breath he closed it again. Due to the strain Stephen hat to catch his breath which didn’t mean that he was even going to miss one beat.</p><p>Quickly Stephen’s eyes started looking for Loki to better assess the general situation. The result was the immediate urge to join this fight and to repeatedly hit Loki. That damned son of a bitch was having fun and couldn’t be bothered to take any of this seriously.</p><p>So far Loki hadn’t deemed the current brawl serious enough to change from his casual clothes, a black hoodie and dark jeans, into his famous armour or at least the cloak which Stephen was sure was infused with all sorts of protection spells. As if that wasn’t enough of a blatant display of his delusions of grandeur, the Asgardian refused to use his magic. Instead he was yielding a pointy dagger in each hand, dodging the attacks with the grace and ease of a dancer. Taking unnecessary risks for entertainment and fun, judging by the joyful smile on face. Four against one and Loki clearly wasn’t taking it seriously. For now he didn’t seem to think that he was in any kind of peril and begrudgingly Stephen would admit that he was doing fine. However, one wrong step could turn this fun episode in something much more real and deadly. Loki’s opponents definitely weren’t playing around, this wasn’t entertainment for them. They were out for blood and certainly didn’t shy away from using their different skills. To put it lightly, the force they were using against Loki was staggering and Stephen honestly could not tell if they were trying to capture or kill him. Certainly they didn’t shy away from causing him physical harm. An onslaught of energy beams was raining down on Loki who dodged them or whirled away with the joy of a child. A reckless strategy that was prone to cost him dearly eventually. Whoever these creatures were, they did not feel obliged to adhere to one single modus operandi. Instead two of them engaged in close combat while the other two were attacking from a distance, forcing Loki to alternate between different movements to evade being hit by a beam consisting of pure energy that would probably burn half of his face off and try not to be caught by a net or spells that would only reveal their purpose when it was already too late.</p><p>This was a situation a person as powerful as Loki shouldn’t find themselves in and especially anybody who liked to go on about their own cleverness ought to know that they were playing with fire.</p><p>Daggers. Two objects at his disposal that consisted of power as old as time and he voluntarily resorted to daggers. No more proof of insanity needed.</p><p>Perhaps some of Stephen’s mental confusion reached out to Loki on some level since after elegantly gliding a few steps backwards, avoiding two beams at the same time, he suddenly stopped. Smile turning into the smirk of a man who had been playing around, Loki moved his right arm almost too fast for Stephen’s disbelieving eyes. The dagger travelled shortly through the air before reaching its target and going straight through it.</p><p>During the last couple of weeks Stephen had deeply longed for the moment to see that smirk disappear from Loki’s unbearably arrogant face and now as said moment had finally arrived, Stephen couldn’t find any pleasure in it. The genuine shock and slow realisation on Loki’s face that he was in trouble didn’t mean anything. Both of them had seen how Loki’s dagger had gone through the creature’s body without touching it, how the attacker had briefly shifted his form into something that wasn’t solid but airy.</p><p>With an undignified clanking sound the dagger eventually hit a wall and fell to the floor. Neutralised.</p><p>“Look at that.” Loki breathed in real astonishment and for some reason the failure of his shockingly simple plan had taken him by such surprise that it took him a tad too long to regain his composure. The attacks were perfectly coordinated, without words. Suddenly one of the attackers had his body shifting, just like when the dagger had gone through him. After seemingly fading out of existence he reappeared behind Loki who felt the other’s presence and span around just in time to put up a defense for the surge of energy thrown at him. It left him vulnerable though to the three others that he had turned his back to.</p><p>The three of them bundled their magic in one combined attack. Stephen had no idea what the impact might have done to Loki’s body but the bone crushing effort it took him to uphold the shield and not to collapse beneath it spoke an unmistakable language. The damage would have been severe. Stephen only allowed himself to take a breath when the last bits of energy had bounced off his shield.</p><p>Glancing over his shoulder Loki met Stephen’s eyes and they conveyed a seemingly endless amount of information. Surprise, understanding, a willingness to use the new development to his advantage and then something that Stephen lacked words to describe. A new agreement to cooperate but different from the previous one. Almost conspiratorial. What should have been the strangest moment in Stephen’s life, jumping in front of Loki to save him, became even weirder by his own reaction. Undeniable excitement.</p><p>Mostly due to the black ring that was forming around Loki’s irises. Finally.</p><p>Stephen was instantly accepted as a nuisance that needed to be terminated. Fine by him, he wasn’t going to use a pointy object to defend himself like other people. Luckily Loki was able to learn from his own mistakes after all and he swung a bundle of energy at the first attacker which bestowed on him the same fate as on the dagger, he was flung back against the wall.</p><p>The fight that followed should have been messy, uncoordinated, chaotic and yet, despite all odds, Loki and him turned out to work well together. Almost worryingly so.</p><p>Perhaps it was due to his growing familiarity with Loki’s magic or the simple fact that they were clearly on the same side. They focused their attention on different opponents and Stephen gladly opened a portal for Loki to send his magic through to hit one of them from behind. Not to forget Loki’s kind action of throwing another one off the new edge of the apartment. Since the outer wall had been completely destroyed by their arrival this one was probably falling to his death. That little murder had saved Stephen from being attacked at unguarded moment.</p><p>A little favour that made them even, no obligation to say ‘Thank you’.</p><p>Only two minutes of fighting made it clear though that they weren’t going to let up. They were here for a reason and surrender or flight was not in the cards. Which meant that Stephen probably had to get his hands dirty. Under different circumstances he would have tried to reason, to find out why they were here or how Loki might have wronged them. In this case though Stephen knew very well who had sent them. Loki wouldn’t show any scruples when it came to killing them, but Stephen didn’t have to play by his rules. Gladly Stephen would let all of them join their friend in the mirror dimension, however the constant and relentless speed of attacks didn’t give him enough time to set this plan into motion.</p><p>There were two of them, so there was obviously an easier way to do this. Dodging one attack Stephen called out to Loki. “Can you conjure up enough magic to move all three of them? At the same time?”</p><p>“Are you trying to insult me?”</p><p>Damn, Stephen hated this man. “Then fucking do it!” With his arm Stephen gave Loki a general indication of the desired direction. Truth to be told, Stephen had no idea if Loki was even going to go for it. Why work together when you could be an arrogant, self-absorbed idiot?</p><p>One of the attackers was flinging another surge of energy at him and Stephen was busy fighting it off when he felt the entire atmosphere in the room change. The air was crackling with a different kind of energy. Something more powerful and unforgiving. It definitely caught everybody’s attention. The remaining attackers all turned their heads to Loki whose eyes were now turning completely black, equally dark magic was pooling at his hands, forming pulsing orbs. They probably were impressed by this spectacle but Stephen had seen it before and he wasn’t going to miss his cue.</p><p>Identifying Loki as the most present threat they rushed towards him and before they could reach him Loki let loose. The shockwave that spread from his hands was actually beautiful and it had been directed with care, perfectly avoiding Stephen and crashing right into the other three.</p><p>Not missing a beat Stephen opened the gateway and Loki sent out another wave of energy that pushed them right into the newly created opening. The very second they had crossed the barrier Stephen let the gateway collapse in on itself and suddenly there silence. Just the two of them in a destroyed apartment and the soft sound of Loki’s laboured breathing. So that took him some effort after all. A piece of information that Stephen was going to treasure.</p><p>“Are you alright?” Stephen asked mostly out of reflex, obviously.</p><p>Naturally Loki reacted with a dark glare and his breathing returned back to normal within an instant. Couldn’t help himself. “Well, that was annoying.”</p><p>Annoying? Stephen was going to choke the life out of… “Watch out!”</p><p>He saw it too late to react and Loki himself didn’t turn around fast enough at Stephen’s warning. Loki’s cry of agony cut through the air and before Stephen could even attempt to deal with the new situation that presented itself, Loki did it himself. Black magic in the shape of smoke grabbed the one creature and slammed it against the wall. Stephen saw how Loki curled his fingers and the magical binds on the creature became tighter, cutting into his clothes and armour. He was going to crush him like this. Not on Stephen’s watch though. “Stop it. He can’t move. You’re hurt. I’ll take care of him.”</p><p>Loki turned his head to him and his eyes were pitch black darkness and yet they conveyed every bit of anger that his green eyes would have. He was furious.</p><p>“Don’t.” Stephen repeated sternly and he felt like he should prepare to fight Loki on this but against all expectation Loki dropped his hand and the magic dissolved. Before the last remaining attacker could even feel relief about being released Stephen had him falling through another portal which meant that they were finally alone.</p><p>Immediately Stephen turned to look at the damage and found that Loki had already put one hand around the dagger sticking in his chest, just below his right shoulder.</p><p>“Don’t just pull it out.”</p><p>Gritting his teeth Loki looked at the dagger with perfectly green eyes. “I have to. It’s mine. I know what it does.”</p><p>Just like Stephen had expected, enchanted blade. That could indeed end up in a very nasty way. “Hold still, I’m going to do it.”</p><p>“Wonderful. You’ve finally lost your mind if you think I’m going to let you do that.” Loki pressed the words through gritted teeth and then yanked out the dagger himself. No sound this time. Stubborn madman.</p><p>Stephen was about to call him stupid when the sound of thunder interrupted his thoughts. That was a bad sign and Loki was already narrowing his eyes. No, the last thing Stephen needed was another fight. “I guess we should leave.”</p><p>“Why? Aren’t you great friends with the man who calls himself my brother?” Loki answered drily and Stephen rolled his eyes. “Yes, we’re going to form a band pretty soon. I have no interest in an meeting with the Avengers. You can stay if you want to. I am leaving.”</p><p>To prove his point Stephen opened a portal and walked towards it. Fortunately the madman had some common sense and actually followed him. Good, so now there was only the stab wound to worry about.</p><p>Loki, despite being in obvious pain, took a sceptic look at his new surroundings. “What is this place?”</p><p>“A hospital. I am sure you are familiar with the concept.” Stephen didn’t want to lose any time, there was no guarantee that they were going to be undisturbed in this room for longer than a few minutes. “Sit down. I need to patch you up.”</p><p>Any other time Stephen would have laughed at Loki’s completely bewildered expression. “I beg your pardon?”</p><p>“You are bleeding. You were stabbed with an enchanted object. I am a doctor and the Sorcerer Supreme. I am the best possible person to deal with this. Now sit down.”</p><p>Still eyeing him wearily Loki didn’t move. “It was my dagger. I know best what to do.”</p><p>“Great, you can play my assistant. Sit down. Whatever spell you put on this dagger, it’s already doing what it’s supposed to do.”</p><p>Slowly and begrudgingly Loki finally did as he was told and Stephen graciously ignored the blood stains on the floor. Grabbing the instruments he was going to need Stephen heard a soft groan. Loki was struggling to take off his hoodie, clearly the stab wound didn’t allow him to raise his arm. So much power, enough to twist the fabric of time and a piece of steel was enough to render him unable to take off his own clothes. Stephen waited for the sweet feeling of satisfaction to come but he waited in vain.</p><p>Not saying anything Stephen put everything down and instead reached for the hem of Loki’s hoodie. The moment he started to lift the piece of garment Loki’s and his eyes met. There was no biting word or deprecative comment. Nothing. Stephen held his gaze, mostly because he didn’t want to be first one to look away and for other reasons. This was a fight that Stephen won. Shifting ever so slightly Loki bit his lip and eventually lowered his eyes, the slight movement evidently causing him pain. Stephen was tempted to tell him to relax but didn’t dare to open his mouth. Loki might end up telling him that he wasn’t weak and pull away.</p><p>Neither of them uttered a word as they proceeded. Stephen put much care into pulling the hoodie up as slowly as possible to keep the discomfort at a minimum. Loki was helping along without needing to be told how. Cautiously they slipped Loki’s good arm through the sleeve. Stephen felt the urge to pause and to take a breath but he didn’t allow himself to and now continued to pull the hoodie over Loki’s head. When Loki’s face was covered by the black garment Stephen’s eyes somewhat involuntarily darted down.</p><p>It was all flawlessly white skin except for the dark gloves hiding away his hands. An uneasy sound escaped Loki’s lips forced Stephen to refocus. Now there was only Loki’s bad arm left and this part wasn’t going to be pleasant. Stephen took his time to peel the entire hoodie down Loki’s arm until he could finally drop it on the bench.</p><p>With the stab wound revealed Stephen had something he could keep his eyes on without the risk of being distracted. The bleeding had already stopped and the edges of the wound had taken on a dark tone. Almost like an infection but worse.</p><p>“What exactly did you do to the dagger?”</p><p>“It makes it a lot more painful. Rather simple actually.”</p><p>Given the strain in Loki’s voice Stephen didn’t find it hard to believe him. There was also the implication that the dagger maybe wasn’t intended to kill anybody. “Alright, let me…”</p><p>Not letting him finish Loki huffed “It’s my spell. I can take care of it myself.”</p><p>“Sure or you could let me do it. The one with a medical background and who has treated people with magical injuries before. Be smart and let me do it.”</p><p>Narrowing his eyes Loki appeared to be more bothered by the suggestion than the pain. “You urge me to accept your help when you refused mine?”</p><p>“Yes, I am a jerk like that. Now stop arguing. You have a wound that needs to be treated.”</p><p>Loki scowled but didn’t say anything else and Stephen carefully put his hand over the wound. He didn’t get to let his magic explore the effects of the spell because Loki suddenly grabbed his wrist. Green eyes bore into his and they were full of menacing and beautiful fire. “Strange, you try anything funny and I will make you miserable in ways that you cannot even imagine.”</p><p>Stephen had nothing but a sad smile as an answer. “I highly doubt that you are capable of doing so.”</p><p>Loki kept studying his face, intrigued and distrustful at the same time until he slowly let go of Stephen’s wrist. Good, finally.</p><p>Nodding to himself Stephen went back to what he was doing. Underneath his hand Stephen could feel the spell pulse and all around it was Loki’s own magic, his essence. An intricate, chaotic web of power that Stephen wanted to dive into although he felt that he wasn’t welcome. Even as he tried to reach for the spell Loki put up some resistance. Stephen was entering a realm where he wasn’t welcome, where he shouldn’t be. Which made it allthemore fascinating.</p><p>Eventually Stephen got closer and touched the spell which was running beneath Loki’s skin. It was rough, uneven and had dug its spikes deeply into Loki’s flesh. The pain had to be agonising, so much that Stephen was surprised that Loki was able to sit straight. Stephen would have to use brute force to pull it out. This wasn’t going to be a display of sophisticated magic.</p><p>After granting himself a quick moment of preparation Stephen let his magic reach out out to grab the spell and to be done with it. Instantly he was being pushed back with force and determination. Not be the spell but Loki himself, all his defences were up and dead set on not letting Stephen go even one step further.</p><p>Raising his head Stephen opened his mouth to tell Loki to let him in, to let Stephen help him but the words lay too heavy on his tongue to be voiced. Loki met his gaze, stoic and way too proud. For once Stephen thought that he could perfectly understand what was going on in Loki’s mind. There was no trust between them and Stephen was asking for permission to literally slip his magic underneath Loki’s skin. At the top of his head Stephen couldn’t think of anyone that he would allow to do that. What was Stephen supposed to say? ‘Let me in’ or ‘I am not going to hurt you’? Neither of those would make a difference.</p><p>Except…</p><p>Stephen pulled his magic slightly back and let it linger. Waiting motionlessly in a peace offering. If he wanted to Loki could reach out himself, Stephen couldn’t do much more to invite him. Which was madness in itself and at the same time a fair exchange. So Stephen waited and Loki realised what he was doing. As he raised an eyebrow Stephen could see the lines around Loki’s eyes and mouth. A testament to the pain he was in and to his stubbornness. Still waiting Stephen kept looking at him, readying himself for the inevitable moment when Loki was going to lash out.</p><p>The touch was tentative that Stephen almost flinched at it, not having expected anything of that sort. Power as unhinged and tremendous as Loki’s should not feel warm and soft. Almost delicate. A pleasant sensation even. Carefully, a little bit timid, Stephen reached back to make sure that they were on the same page. No aggression or power play, Stephen permitted Loki to take a look at what was inside of them. Loki was doing the same and what Stephen saw was beautiful. Something that used to be foreign and that was now a part of Loki was deeply interwoven with his essence. Together they formed a marvellous pattern so elaborate that one life wouldn’t be enough to explore it.</p><p>The feeling of regret clawed at Stephen when Loki pulled back. Only the expression in the other’s eyes made him understand what was really going on. When Stephen reached out the next time, there was no resistance. His magic could freely close around the spell and Stephen sent Loki an apologetic glance before he started to pull.</p><p>It didn’t take him long to yank the entirety of the spell out, but it caused Loki to yelp in pain nonetheless. The knuckles of his fingers that were clenching around the edge of the bed were turning white.</p><p>“Sorry.” Stephen muttered softly, catching his own breath. His work had been quick, not easy.</p><p>Loki made a dismissive gesture, his head hanging low between his shoulders. “It was me who enchanted the dagger. I would have been very disappointed if this hadn’t been torment.”</p><p>Well, that was one way to look at it.</p><p>“Let’s patch you up and then get out of here.”</p><p>There was no protest when Stephen began to suture after disinfecting it. One might be inclined to think that all the concentration and magic it took to stop his hands from shaking should have been enough to ensure that Stephen’s mind was going to wonder. That wasn’t the case.</p><p>Just like a few days ago Stephen’s eyes were drawn to Loki’s collarbones. Only this time they weren’t the only piece of skin that was bared for him to look at. Another person made out of flesh and bone.</p><p>“Why even use a dagger? You have two Infinity Stones and when you are attacked you resort to using a dagger.”</p><p>Loki hinted at a smile and Stephen quickly looked back down. “Did you stop using your feet to walk after you learned how to create a portal?”</p><p>“That’s hardly the same thing.”</p><p>“I enjoy using them and I am bad at depriving myself of something I like.”</p><p>Looking up from his stitching work Stephen hinted at shaking his head. “Even when you’re dealing with mercenaries that Thanos sent after you? That is foolish.”</p><p>Not offended in the least Loki continued smiling. “Is it? Magic users tend to forget that there are other ways to fight than only magic. They completely focus all their defense and attack strategies on it, only to get surprised by something they didn’t expect and then they struggle to deal with it. Actual fools only focus on one single tool in their box.”</p><p>Having done the last stitch Stephen took a look at his work. It was good, the scar would fade nicely. In Loki’s case it would probably disappear completely. After all there was not a single sign of a past battle on Loki’s body. “That’s what happened to you, isn’t it? You didn’t expect to get stabbed with your own weapon.”</p><p>In response Loki hummed softly. “I guess you are right.”</p><p>Having run out of words to say they fell back into silence. Like so often when they were working together. Only at those times they weren’t as close and Stephen didn’t have his hands on Loki’s bare skin. Realising that he hadn’t moved yet Stephen wanted to instantly pull back, but since it would draw attention to what was currently going on Stephen took his time and pretended to take another judging look at the wound. “You’re whole again. Feel free to thank me any time.”</p><p>There was no bite or snark to his words. They felt strangely hollow. Loki trailed his fingers down the fresh scar. “Thank you, Great Sorcerer Supreme.”</p><p>Stephen simply knew that this was supposed to be an insult, but as the words passed Loki’s lips they sounded genuine and Stephen smiled.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>On a personal note -  there haven't been aot of comments recently. Please, don't be shy, tell me what you think, it's really motivating and I like to interact with my readers :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Rules & chaos</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello everybody, </p><p>Stephen and Loki... getting along? Can it be?</p><p>Have fun :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It wasn’t until the moment when Stephen lay down to sleep that he realised what he had down. Or more precisely what he hadn’t done. Even in his chaotic life this day could be considered out of the ordinary. Getting into a fight with both Thor and Mordo about Loki, having a minor breakthrough with Loki in the art of bending time, getting into a physical fight with Thanos’ thugs and eventually patching up Loki. Weird on all the possible levels and Stephen had messed up horribly.</p><p>Treating Loki’s wounds was not that much of a big deal. Stephen depended on him to get home, so Loki’s well-being or at least survival was in his interest. Therefor Stephen’s mistake wasn’t so much situated in what he had done but what he hadn’t.</p><p>Lying in his bed Stephen had forgotten about the concept of sleep, he was too busy staring at the ceiling and replaying today’s events in his mind. Everything that he had done or rather the things that he hadn’t done. Thinking about it almost felt like watching a movie and it made Stephen want to yell at the brain dead protagonist for missing the opportunity of a life time. The one he had been waiting for.</p><p>Stephen hadn’t just had his hands on Loki’s skin but on his magic. It had been right there, pulsing, moving, admittedly beautiful and Stephen hadn’t done anything. Not a single attempt had been made. What really had Stephen think that he should claw his own eyes out was the fact that Stephen hadn’t thought of it.</p><p>After the attack had gone down Stephen had been completely focused on making sure that his unlikely ally was fine, the doctor in him had taken over. All Stephen had done was fixing Loki when he could have done anything. Loki had even warned him, he had been perfectly aware of the possibilities. A tracking spell, some nasty little curse that would come into effect much later, only when Stephen wanted it to. No need to even go that far, Stephen could have tried to learn more about Loki’s very being. The essence of his magic and how it worked. How Loki had made the power of an Infinity Stone part of it.</p><p>What exactly had Stephen done? Marvelled at something that he hadn’t thought he would ever witness up this close. During said moments it hadn’t even occurred to Stephen that he could try and leave some tracking spell on Loki. Which was downright preposterous.</p><p>“Stupider than an incompetent intern fresh out of medical school.” That was the harshest insult Stephen could think of and yet it didn’t feel adequate.</p><p>He was overcome by the need to make up for his unforgivable mistake and grabbed his notepad from the nightstand. Determined to remember every single detail Stephen started to write things down. Everything that he had noticed today. So at least something had come from this.</p><p>Most important things first – the magic Stephen had felt inside of Loki came from one of the Infinity Stones. It wasn’t foreign matter any longer. Somehow Loki had made it part of himself, had merged it with his very essence and being. Stephen would probably give one of limbs to know how the other one had achieved that.</p><p>Second – the gloves. Not once had Stephen seen Loki take them off. Regardless of the scenario or the outfit. There had to be a reason for it and if Stephen had to take a guess, he would be tempted to say that Loki used them to somehow channel the Tesseract’s powers to open the portals. No way to be sure, but it seemed like the most logical explanation</p><p>If Stephen could get them off Loki to analyse them. That would go right onto his ‘To do’ list.</p><p>Was there something else Stephen needed to write down? The unbearable and ridiculously nasty feeling of leaving something incomplete was nagging at him. Hesitantly Stephen let the pen scratch over the paper before slowly writing down the words ‘Able to work together if necessary.’ With a sigh Stephen added ‘Surprisingly well’.</p><p>***</p><p>The cold was clinging to him but it was pure, perfectly clean. Very deep breath seemed to be cleansing him from within and Stephen relished the stolen moments of peace. With a nostalgic smile on his lips he thought back to one time when the Ancient One had left him behind in the Himalaya to figure out his own powers. Come to think that years later Stephen would seek out a familiar place on his own volition. It didn’t need to be saying that his current surroundings weren’t nearly as cold, but that made it a much better place do meditate. At least for some time, until a black portal spawned next to him. Another thing that had drastically changed. Stephen didn’t jump to his feet to be ready for an altercation or an actual fight. Nobody walked through it though. Stephen was going to consider this an invitation.</p><p>Curiously and maybe even slightly excited Stephen tilted his head to get a glimpse at the other side. A room, rather cosy as it seemed. Fine, Stephen was done with meditating anyway. After getting up to his feet Stephen walked through the gateway and the difference in temperature hit him instantly. At first the contrast was unpleasant, but the warmth quickly began caressing his cold cheeks.</p><p>The invitation had led him to a lavish looking salon. No surprise there, Loki had already proven to have expensive taste. The man himself was lounging on a leather couch that would have perfectly fitted into Stephen’s penthouse. During another life. Casual clothes, black slacks, green tunic, glove covered hands that were holding a book. Stephen was still feeling at odds about how to reconcile all these different versions of Loki. The dark cloaked figure that was wielding boundless magic like it wasn’t a most incredible achievement and the relaxed, almost relaxed laid back man that was resting his naked feet on a couch cushion.</p><p>“Which unfortunate soul did you steal this apartment from?”</p><p>Loki glanced up from his book and Stephen more felt than saw the portal behind him disappearing. “I don’t bother with names.”</p><p>Stephen only uttered the smallest of sighs, by now he was already used to these particular antics. “I appreciate the invitation into another man’s house, but why am I here exactly?”</p><p>A little wink from Loki’s hand and a small booklet appeared on the couch table. “You’ve done a decent job fixing my wound. Since you consider yourself a healer, this might be of interest for you. It’s a collection of Vanar treatments against different poisons.”</p><p>Loki was right, it was of definite interest for Stephen. Almost a little bit greedy Stephen reached for the booklet and opened it at a random page. Spells and descriptions, beautiful and fascinating. Yes, Stephen was going to keep it for sure.</p><p>“What’s the catch?”</p><p>Green eyes looked at him over the edge of the book. “No catch. I am paying a debt.”</p><p>To be honest, Stephen had no idea what to make of that new information. “That doesn’t sound like you.”</p><p>That uncomplicated counterargument caught Loki’s attention enough to definitely lower the book. “Because you are an expert on the subject, right? What do you actually know about me?”</p><p>Enough. Stephen knew enough and despite that he felt uneasy for some reason. “Mostly what others told me about you.”</p><p>Downright offended but not surprised by the answer Loki snorted. “And you call yourself a scientist? Do you thoroughly check your sources? Are they reliable? Out-dated? Biased? Second-hand? If I cared I would be disappointed.”</p><p>Stephen pursed his lips and a smart answer was dying on his tongue. Loki had a point and Stephen didn’t like that. The other one being right and one of Stephen’s flaws being shed light upon? Not a pleasant combination. “Alright.” Sitting down on the other side of the couch Stephen crossed his legs and made himself comfortable. “What are you reading?”</p><p>In slight confusion Loki began to frown. “Why is that important?”</p><p>“I am doing my research. Going back to the main source.”</p><p>Uttering a sarcastic laugh Loki sent him a patronising gaze. “And how are my reading habits going to help you to figure out how to finally overpower and imprison me?”</p><p>This was frustration on a new level. “Why does everything have to be a fight with you?”</p><p>Still laughing Loki arched an eyebrow. “Really? That’s coming from you?”</p><p>Another somewhat fair point. “I want to know what you are reading. I am curious.”</p><p>Stephen honestly didn’t know what he had expected but when Loki lowered the book completely to let him glance at the cover, he was definitely surprised to see it was a non-fiction book about architecture. A somewhat odd choice for a subject. “Are you reading up on all the different kind of buildings that you destroyed?”</p><p>The uncreative jab left Loki unimpressed. “Hardly. The book mostly focuses on European and Asian architecture. It seems like nothing that your country came up with is worth mentioning.”</p><p>“That is a very narrow-minded way of looking at things. Dismissing of more contemporary styles immediately.”</p><p>Still unimpressed Loki hinted at a shrug. “You will have a hard time arguing that anything in your city is on par with even the most average building in Florence.”</p><p>“That is an unfair comparison.”</p><p>“Fairness is a concept invented by fools. Politeness isn’t though. You still haven’t said ‘Thank you’ yet.”</p><p>Leave it to that high-maintenance Asgardian to sound insulted. However, Stephen had to admit that he would probably react the same way if it was the other way around. “Thank you. It’s a nice gesture.”</p><p>Pleased enough Loki nodded. “Good. That would be all. You can leave now.”</p><p>“You might have been a prince in Asgard, but that rank means nothing here and it means even less to me. So you better get used to stop ordering me around.”</p><p>Feeling challenged Loki gleefully smirked at him. “Let’s ignore the social hierarchy then and resort to something more basic. I am vastly more powerful than you and therefore it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to do what I say.”</p><p>Stephen’s pride wouldn’t allow him to take that, but it was undeniable that the words fazed him a lot less than they might have only a few days ago. “Vastly? I wouldn’t subscribe to that notion.”</p><p>Loki huffed, only somewhat amused. “I have no fondness for people who pretend to be fools.”</p><p>Now they were talking. “Took you long enough to acknowledge that I am not an idiot.”</p><p>“You are a source of entertainment that has proven to be useful at times. It’s not that big of a compliment though. I’ve been dealing with fools for most of my life.”</p><p>The part of Stephen that felt sympathy for Thor and considered him a friend wanted to protest. He remained silent though since it was obviously more important to try and connect to Loki, fish for information. “Poor you. So many unnoticed talents. What’s even sadder is the fact that your new superior power is stolen. Abandon the Mind Stone and how much of your power remains?”</p><p>Loki’s smirk turned into a smile that was sly and cutting like a knife. The way it reached his eyes made Stephen’s stomach twist which should have felt more unpleasant than it did. “You’re doing it again. Such a bad impression of a fool.”</p><p>This could be considered a compliment which didn’t mean that Stephen determined to make this hard for Loki. The other one enjoyed his little games, word fights and Stephen might not be completely averse to them either. “What? Are you denying that your power is stolen?”</p><p>There was a gleam in Loki’s eyes. Something that Stephen hadn’t seen in a very long time. So long actually that he had forgotten what it looked like. Unlimited and untarnished delight, almost childlike with dark edges. The joy of playing with fire. Since Thanos Stephen hadn’t seen anything like it. Now that he saw it Stephen was almost overwhelmed by nostalgia for it. Leaning slightly forward Loki spoke in a low voice with a playful note. “You know it’s mine. I saw you look. I felt you feel.”</p><p>An involuntary shudder was running down Stephen’s spine and he tried his very best to hide it. After all Stephen knew better than to show Loki any kind of weakness. It was hard to downplay the intensity of the memory though. The feel and touch of Loki’s magic, ancient and full of life. Something foreign that had become part of him. Something frightening and delicately beautiful. Strong enough to tear down worlds.</p><p>Their game came to an end because Stephen simply had to know. “Alright. Tell me how you did it.”</p><p>Feigning innocent cluelessness Loki asked, “How did I do what?”</p><p>“The power from the Mind Stone. How did you make it part of your own magic? Just trying to absorb some of it should have killed you.”</p><p>“Maybe you are still underestimating me, Great Sorcerer Supreme.”</p><p>“I highly doubt it. Tell me.”</p><p>“Hmm…” Loki clicked his tongue. “How about a fair exchange? You answer me a question and I will tell you what you want to know.”</p><p>“I thought fairness was invented by fools.”</p><p>Loki shrugged, smiling sharply. “You are going to answer first. There is a risk that I am not going to tell you anything once we’re done. Not exactly fair. What’s it going to be, Strange?”</p><p>Suddenly Stephen was reminded of why he hated the Asgardian. Which didn’t necessarily mean that a morbid and slightly stupid part of him didn’t enjoy this conversation. “Deal. Ask your question. I can always tell you to shove it.”</p><p>Loki nodded contently. “Why are you so eager to return to your original timeline?”</p><p>Perplexed Stephen chose to stay silent for a couple of seconds. What a waste of a question. “Because that’s where I am supposed to be. Where I am needed. I have fought very hard for that timeline to go on. I am not going to give it up.”</p><p>Clearly unsatisfied with Stephen’s answer Loki leaned back as if he was preparing for a longer conversation. Stephen had literally no idea what was going on. “You have a certain amount of power and knowledge. No comparison to mine but enough not to be bound to these foolish notions. There is no place you or anyone else is supposed to be. There are pathways between worlds and timeline that exist for no other purpose than to be used. Go to one place, take what you need, do what you enjoy. When you get bored, go somewhere else. Explore this universe, then the multiverse. One time, another one. Why have possibilities if one is not willing to exploit them or bend them to your will?”</p><p>Back in the day Stephen had thought he had met crazy people. Evidently he hadn’t. This was madness talking. “What you are suggesting is pure chaos. The very thing I am supposed to prevent.”</p><p>“Again.” Loki rolled his eyes. “Supposed to. The most foolish of notions.”</p><p>Why was Stephen even bothering with this conversation? “Alright. Sworn to prevent. If you like the sound of that better.”</p><p>“Not necessarily. Did you take an oath? Voiced a binding spell? Sacrificed your blood? Otherwise you are bound to nothing.”</p><p>“Not everybody can do as they please and plunge entire worlds into chaos or fun.” Stephen pointed out with clear disdain. “Other people have responsibilities and take their duties seriously.”</p><p>“Argh.” Loki almost appeared to be choking on the noise. “Duty. Again, a foolish concept. There is nothing any of us is bound to do. Rules are mere constructions for tiny minds. Death is the only thing we eventually have to bow to. Everything else can be bent and formed to our will.”</p><p>Licking his lips Stephen hesitated to reply. Some of what Loki said rang true and it caused a sharp ache in Stephen’s chest. He had to remember that Loki was the embodiment of chaos. Hell, he was the very reason everything in this timeline was upside down. Loki had messed with the very order of things and was sitting her with angelic calmness, talking about how he hadn’t messed up enough. Meeting Loki’s green eyes Stephen’s mind was flooding with images of Thor and his empty smiles. A happy shell to cover the darkness of grief.</p><p>“I’ve seen death.” Stephen said slowly, feeling surprised by the weight of his own words and Loki’s curious gaze lingered on him. “Plenty of it.” A blue light flickering before vanishing forever. Stephen had seen it millions of times and then once more. One time alone would have been enough to scar him permanently. The mere thought made him want to scourge himself. Sitting here, perfectly fine, complaining about invisible scars when somebody else was rotting away in their grave. “I need to go back make sure that there will not be more of it. To make sure it was worth it.”</p><p>Begrudgingly he waited for Loki to say something brash and brazen, something to soil what Stephen had dedicated his life to. That didn’t happen. Instead Loki frowned, pensively. “It does not sound like a place that invites anyone to return to it.”</p><p>“My timeline has its issues but there’s beauty in it. For now we’re at peace. It came at a cost but we were able to bring back most of the people that we lost.”</p><p>Except the ones that Stephen willingly sacrificed without having any right to.</p><p>“Ah…” A new light began to shine in Loki’s eyes and his features clearly stated that something had just started to make sense to him. Stephen felt a strange pressure around his throat. Like a cord tightening. “Now I see why you spend your nights on cold rooftops. Staring.” Loki was oozing content because of his discovery. So much that Stephen wanted to strangle him. “You sacrificed <em>him</em>.”</p><p>Every single muscle in Stephen’s body tensed as if they were put under physical strain. Nobody had ever said anything similar. No accusation had ever been uttered except the one in his very own mind. Not a single person had every looked at Stephen and had demanded to know how he had made this decision. Who had given him the right? How he had known that there wouldn’t be other ways. Not a single one of the people who had been there with them on Titan, who had witnessed Stephen going through the timelines. Not one of his friends. Not even his wife.</p><p>Now there was Loki. Who hadn’t lived through any of this. Who had intoxicated himself on stolen power and had never given up anything for anybody else. He was the one reminding Stephen of his guilt. It shouldn’t mean anything and yet Stephen was choking on it.</p><p>“Don’t.” Stephen warned him. “You don’t know anything and I will not indulge you.”</p><p>His anger did nothing to deter Loki. “It is not very hard to figure out what has happened. Thanos came and you as the Sorcerer Supreme were in the possession of the Time Stone. Everyone who is not a bumbling fool would have used the Time Stone to take a look at all the different outcomes and then choose the best one to pursue. Despite your best efforts of convince me of the opposite, you are no fool, Stephen Strange. You went for the scenario that offered you a chance at survival, you fought and you won. Therefore you had to sacrifice the Man Of Iron.”</p><p>Balling both hands into fists Stephen glared at Loki. Magic was pulsing inside of him, heavy with emotion. Eager to lash out. “Stop talking about things that you know nothing about!”</p><p>Cocking his head Loki slightly narrowed his eyes. Not because of displeasure or annoyance. No, he was confused. “Why so sensitive? I am not unfamiliar with Thanos’ plans. What were the odds? Stark or half of the universe? That sounds like a pretty good deal.”</p><p>Stephen’s rage spread like a wildfire inside of him. Hearing Loki point out these things so casually like they were a given, nothing to lament over, it had him imaging the most gruesome things he could do to the other one. “Shut your mouth. You weren’t there. You don’t give a fuck! You’ve prospered thanks to our misery! What does death mean to you when you go around killing people? Nothing.”</p><p>Sighing softly Loki still wasn’t bothered by any of this. “Of course you think you killed him. Even if you personally rammed a knife into his heart, it was still Thanos that sealed his fate. Did you force him to? I imagine he would be glad to die a hero.”</p><p>It took all of Stephen’s self-control to refrain from using violence. “For the last time, stop talking. Nobody wants to die a hero. People want to live and grow old with the people they love. Some of them don’t get to do that because they know that there are bigger things than them. Because they are willing to make sacrifices that others cannot do. Just take a look in the mirror. You wouldn’t make a sacrifice for anybody.” Stephen made no attempt to hide his disdain when he added, “No matter what other people say.”</p><p>Intrigued by that statement Loki raised an eyebrow. “Are you referring to my untimely demise in your timeline?”</p><p>“Thor keeps claiming that you died protecting him and the remaining Asgardians.”</p><p>The laugh that escaped Loki’s lips was so real, so unfiltered and so genuinely amused by this bizarre suggestion that Stephen would have been disturbed, hadn’t he still been fuming with anger. “This is ridiculous.”</p><p>“I know.” Stephen agreed and the urge to leave before Loki could say anything else overcame him. Grabbing the booklet from the table Stephen got up and was ready to open a portal. Behind him Loki’s laughter had subsided. “I do not understand you, Stephen Strange. The one thing that tortures you does not exist here and yet you are eagerly running back to it. He is alive, sitting in his tower.”</p><p>Stephen’s hand wouldn’t come up to create the gateway. “That man has little in common with Tony Stark.”</p><p>“A case of lost confidence. I guess it will return. A question of time. Rather simple.”</p><p>Taken aback by what Loki had just said Stephen turned around, sending him a penetrating gaze. “What is that supposed to mean? What do you know?”</p><p>Extending his arms theatrically Loki bowed his head. “I do not know anything, Great Sorcerer Supreme, but I am capable of the art of deduction. Making sense out of isolated pieces of information.”</p><p>For the love of god Stephen might be able to commit cold-blooded murder after all. Given Loki’s attitude he seemed eager for it. “Stop making it so difficult when you clearly want to have this conversation. Just tell me what you know or we settle this the old-fashioned way.”</p><p>There he was, only waiting for Loki to jump at the opportunity to turn this into a physical fight. Instead Loki lowered his arms, the glee had now vanished from his face and had been replaced by seriousness. If Stephen didn’t know better, he would say that Loki looked uncomfortable. “It’s not that confusing of a riddle. The man is mortal. Nothing special about him but his little gadgets. Which he no longer has any trust in.”</p><p>“Why?” Stephen asked with urgency which caused Loki to huff and shrug. “The blue light that allows him to control his armour. It stopped working and almost killed him. It happened when they were trying to take me in. Legendary moment. In the general confusion the Tesseract came to me, I took it left. He hasn’t put on his armour since or left his tower as far as I know.”</p><p>Vertigo threatened to overwhelm Stephen. Was there anything that was wrong in this world that he couldn’t be blamed for? He wasn’t sure how, but it was evident that the ones who had travelled back in time were responsible for this. Not only had they pushed an object of unlimited power right into Loki’s hands, they had messed up Stark. Seemingly permanently. Stephen didn’t believe that Loki was lying to him, however some of the details didn’t add up. “Even if he no longer wishes to be Iron Man… That doesn’t explain why he wouldn’t go on with his normal life.”</p><p>Loki had the nerve to roll his eyes. “Normal does not exist anymore after the wormhole. Not after what he has seen. The endless emptiness of space filled with an army that cannot be bargained with and that speaks no other language than death. The moment you become aware of that, there is no going back. You know and it will never leave you alone.”</p><p>Stephen’s confusion only lasted for a second, then realisation dawned on him. Loki had seen the same. At some point when he had crossed paths with Thanos. Could it be that Loki was feeling sympathy for Stark? As it turned out the Asgardian wasn’t the only one capable of deduction. “That night… On the roof. I was watching Stark Tower and you were… You weren’t following me. You went there for the same reason I did. To check on him.”</p><p>Instantly Loki’s gaze darkened. “What are you insinuating, Strange?”</p><p>“I think that some tiny sentimental part of you feels for him because you saw the same thing he did. Am I right? I am usually right.”</p><p>Ultimately it didn’t matter because he had already irritated Loki who was now wearing a look of defiance. Almost like a child. “I am no victim to sentiment!” The fact that he was raising his voice only confirmed Stephen’s suspicions. “I am a god! Compared to me you are all insects! Your life, your death, your… wellbeing. It does not concern me!”</p><p>The fierceness he was trying to display almost made Stephen chuckle, it was genuinely amusing. “Sure, it doesn’t.”</p><p>Green eyes were drilling holes through him and then Loki made an abrupt gesture with his arms. The ground literally disappeared from underneath Stephen’s boots. With a surprised yelp he fell through the portal and seconds later landed in warm, rough sand. In a fit of rage Loki had sent him to a desert. Letting his head drop backwards Stephen closed his eyes and started laughing. He hadn’t laughed in a long time.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Tell me what you think ;)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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